Girls Fake It Better
by storygirl1015
Summary: Ever wonder what it'd be like to date the hottest bad boy in school? Hinata Hyuga finds out the hard way...whether she wants to or not.
1. Wallflower

**First off, hello everyone! For those who already know me from one of my previous stories, welcome back, and for those who don't, hopefully you'll become a frequent visitor. Anyway, I'm gonna keep this short and simple so we can get right down to the good stuff…**

**Story came from random mulling over of the expression "women fake it better". Well at least I **_**think **_**that's an expression (I've heard it more than once from several different sources). And that of course led me to think up this plot which I think is a kind of funny twist of sorts. So…don't forget to review, okay (but no flames; it burns me up…no pun intended)?**

**Oh and, of course I don't own Naruto otherwise I wouldn't be writing this! Also, since I've decided to use famous quotes at the opening to every chapter, I had to try to find ones that fit each chapter accordingly, and since I couldn't find one to fit the first, I made it up. If you want to borrow it you can but just remember—IT'S MINE! **

**Full Summary**: Every girl at Gekkoukan High likes the school's bad boy, Uchiha Sasuke. Every girl except Hinata that is, the school's awkward wallflower who only has eyes for his obnoxious best friend... So when Sasuke forces her into being his fake girlfriend in order to shake off his clingy admirers, Hinata's once simple school life immediately spirals into an ongoing nightmare. Can Hinata survive until the end of the semester with Sasuke's jealous fans out for revenge, or will she actually succumb to the Uchiha's overwhelming sex appeal?

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><p><em>"Behind her misted eyes and faltering exterior lies the soul of a creature caught between being the bringer of her own salvation, and the cause of her own demise." –storygirl1015<em>

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><p><strong>Ch.1<strong>- Wallflower

The young heiress stood stiff, examining herself in the priceless hand-carved mahogany framed mirror.

Her silky indigo hair was brushed to perfection and fell to the center of her back in a glossy wave, her full pink lips shined faintly with a light coating of gloss for optimal effect (courtesy of her kid sister, Hanabi), her pale orbs, though timidly averted, were bright and focused , and her school uniform was in order.

Everything seemed to be in place, she noted, giving a slight nod of approval. In fact, if she didn't know any better she'd think she was looking at a whole other person.

Maybe her friends had been right. A whole new image might've been just what she needed to give herself the confidence boost that would help her achieve her goal.

Except…the tiny smile that had lifted her lips quickly dropped into a small frown. Something seemed missing somehow… But what could it possibly be?

The Hyuga continued to ponder over this thought, her head tilting in careful consideration, before she shook it clear of any perturbing thoughts. Whatever it was would have to wait. It was time for her to head downstairs; otherwise she would miss breakfast.

She picked up her bag, which was already packed, and hurried downstairs to the large kitchen of her family's enormous mansion. As she came down the stairwell, she saw her father already seated at the table, sipping his morning coffee with one hand and briskly typing on his laptop with the other— probably checking to see how the company finances were doing.

He glanced up at her entrance and she immediately directed her attention to the floor, mumbling a nervous greeting, to which she received a quiet grunt before slipping into her spot at the table.

A maid scurried over and gave the timid girl a warm smile and cheerful "good morning" before placing a full plate of food in front of her. Hinata stared at the food, wide-eyed, wondering how she would possibly finish all of it in time before deciding to try and eat as much as she could.

She had just picked up her chopsticks when she heard another set of footsteps enter the room, and saw a young man with long brown hair who she recognized as her older cousin, Neji.

His father had died in an accident years ago when Hinata was almost too young to remember, and since they were his only immediate family, he had been living with them ever since.

And even though they hadn't been on the best of terms at first, Neji had finally managed to accept his circumstances, unfortunate as they were, and no longer took his anger out on Hinata, who had also learned to warm up to his presence and now found it reassuring to have him around.

He possessed an incredibly sharp mind and was considered by many to be a genius. And he also excelled at sports as the varsity captain of the kendo club and track and field team.

Hinata both respected and admired him for his grace, wit, and confidence. At school he was popular among their classmates, and girls found him irresistible.

"Ohayo, uncle Hiashi-sama, Hinata-sama," he greeted with a small bow before taking his seat at the table, sitting to Hiashi's left and across from Hinata.

"Ohayo, Neji."

"O-Ohayo Neji-niisan," Hinata muttered, averting eye contact.

Inwardly, she still felt a little inferior compared to Neji. With all his amazing achievements, she just couldn't seem to measure up. Sometimes she got the feeling that her father would've much rather had a perfect son like Neji than a weak spineless daughter like her.

At fifteen years old most would consider Hinata Hyuga to be a very charming young lady. She was soft-spoken, polite and always kind to everyone around her. However, Hinata being as modest as she was, thought of herself as being plain, and even a little…dull.

But…starting today, that was going to change, because she'd made a promise to herself, and she planned on keeping it.

She would finally step out of the shadows and make people see her for more than just the shy heiress hiding in the corner. She would make _him _see her too.

Her heartbeat went a little faster and a slow blush crept up her neck at the thought, but her anxiety was otherwise unnoticeable.

Hinata continued to mentally prep herself for the task that lay ahead while breakfast continued in a somewhat stagnant silence.

The atmosphere seemed to pick up speed some as her younger sister Hanabi slowly shuffled into the room, already in her school uniform, eyes blank and lips pulled into a thin straight line.

Obviously she hadn't had a very restful night—probably up too late talking to Konohamaru and Moegi again.

"Ohayo father, cousin, and Hinata…" she said, giving a curt bow. Her facial features read blank, except for the slight lines around her eyes from fatigue. She slid into place next to their father, on Hinata's left side.

Hinata glanced at her sister, and once again felt smaller than usual. Even though Hanabi was only eleven, five years her junior, she was extremely mature for her age and very private.

She always kept up a very professional, put-together front, and hated to feel belittled or weak in any way.

Like their father she could be stern and demanding, but also had a cunning, slightly manipulative side. She also had a strong sense of dignity and would never settle for second place. Maybe that was why she gained his favor so effortlessly (or so it seemed)…

In any case, her headstrong and highly independent nature made it somewhat difficult for Hinata to come to any common grounds with her at times.

She hardly ever seemed to open up around anyone, least of all Hinata, probably because she thought her sister as little more than a hindrance in winning their father's favor.

Her softer, more agreeable side often came out most around him though. Sometimes Hinata wondered how they could be so different. Though in her honest opinion, she thought Hanabi would make a far better heiress.

Before she realized it, Hinata had finished breakfast. She thanked the maid, bowing politely, and noticing from the corner of her eye Neji had also finished and was now standing to grab his bag.

Their eyes met briefly and he gave her a small, flicker of a smile, making her cheeks flush in embarrassment.

Both said their goodbyes and then departed, Neji taking out his car keys and opening the doors of the shiny Jeep Ranger parked in the driveway.

Hinata climbed in carefully, and Neji started the engine with a dull roar. This was their usual morning routine. Ever since Neji had started driving a year ago, he would give her a ride to school, and sometimes bring her back home, if he wasn't too busy with afterschool clubs.

He glanced over at her as she was buckling her seatbelt, barely managing to suppress a short gasp at his younger cousin. For some reason, all of a sudden, she looked so…_different_. But not in the bad way. More like the "_damn, why did we have to be related!_" sort of way.

Hinata, feeling eyes linger on her, looked up to see Neji's surprised face, as if seeing her for the first time. She tilted her head curiously and blinked, feeling a little nervous.

"A-Ano…is s-something wrong nii-san?" she asked quietly, mentally scolding herself for stuttering, something she had mostly grown out of and only did now when she was feeling nervous or scared.

His lips parted slightly in an attempt to form words, but nothing escaped his mouth. "N-nii-san?" she repeated, her voice rising a little with her increasing anxiety.

He shook his head to clear the fog in his mind, managing to flash a quick, almost invisible smile her way. "N-no, nothing…I was just admiring your new look. You look good, Hinata-sama." He smirked, seeing her face heat up as he began to pull out of the driveway, glancing in the mirror.

"A-Arigatou…" she mumbled softly, a slight pink tint still visible on her face as she stared at her lap, nervously fidgeting with her fingers.

The rest of the ride was comfortably quiet, with Hinata lost in her own thoughts and Neji paying close attention to the road.

However he would sneak a glance at her every so often when she wasn't looking.

Little did the shy wallflower know, but ever since hitting puberty, her cousin had begun to develop some strange feelings toward her bordering on the lines of '_incestuous affections'_.

Of course he was very good at hiding it, and he made sure no one knew, keeping his admiration of her to a minimum in public.

The only person who might have a clue was Hanabi (the rotten little snoop), and she could always be bribed into keeping her mouth shut. For a price.

(**A/N: Okay I just wanted to say the Hyugacest was a spur of the moment thing and I'm not sure where it came from as I've never done one or had the slightest urge to do one before. But anyway, I figured I'd just put it in to help add to the comedy, awkwardness and drama. But…IT IS STRICTLY ONESIDED Hinata has ABSOLUTELY NO ROMANTIC INTEREST IN HIM AT ALL, NOR WILL SHE DEVELOP SUCH FEELINGS AT ANY POINT IN THE STORY! So sorry to disappoint you Hyugacest fans. Now that that announcement's been made, back to the story!**)

Other than that, life in the Hyuga home was relatively peaceful, and he knew that Hinata was far too clueless and innocent to find out on her own.

And he definitely didn't plan on telling her anytime soon, afraid that doing so would ruin the close bond they already shared.

So for now he was simply content to enjoy their relationship as it was, even if secretly it wasn't what he actually wanted.

They arrived at school without either of them really realizing it, and as soon as Neji had put the car in park, a flock of giddy schoolgirls seemed to materialize out of nowhere, completely surrounding them and blocking off any possible escape routes.

His eyebrow twitched almost unnoticeably, and he mentally groaned hearing their loud, high-pitched squeals and shouts. You would think they'd take a hint that he wasn't interested, but so far, no such luck…

"Oh my gosh! Look, look it's Prince Neji-sempai!" Yes, apparently they thought he was so regal and sophisticated they had actually taken to calling him '_prince_', which annoyed him to no end.

He wasn't some dainty male daffodil after all.

"He is sooo hot!"

"I can't believe we're so lucky to see him this close!"

"Yeah, I know, I wonder if he'd let me

"No way! You don't stand a chance! Besides, I'm going to ask him out, so back off!" Oh great, he thought, now it was really about to get ugly.

"In your dreams, he wants me, not some ugly, silicone-boobed witch!"

"As if! I have more sex appeal in one finger than you'll ever have in your whole freakin' life, skank!"

"He wants me!"

"No me!"

"_Me_!"

"**No me!**"

"_Grrr!_"

Neji closed his eyes and placed his head down on the steering wheel as he listened to their ridiculous arguments. Couldn't they see neither one of them would ever have a chance? Because the only one he was really interested in was—

"N-niisan…ano…a-are you f-feeling alright?" he instantly perked up at the sound of her soft, sweet voice, filled with concern. And… for _him_. The thought made him swell with pride on the inside.

He lifted his head a little to look in her direction, smirking lightly at her innocent face, brows laced together in question. "I'm fine. Or at least I would be if these annoying girls didn't insist on being so loud so early in the morning," he replied calmly with a soft sigh.

She giggled, the light sound as soothing as tinkling bells to his ears, "Y-You should be happy to have so many admirers!" she smiled, lavender eyes glowing.

"Hn. Oh, is _that_ what you call them?" he let a little sarcasm sneak into his tone, causing her to giggle harder. "Still, now the problem is how to find a way around them without causing even more of a riot," he sighed again, a thoughtful frown marring his smooth face.

Hinata stared out the window as the fan girls continued to fight over who had the right to own Neji, gulping slightly at the thought of trying to get through the frenzied crowd.

But before either cousin could do or say anything else, the shrill blow of what sounded to be a whistle could be heard, instantly silencing the pack of crazed girls.

"ALRIGHT NOW, MOVE ALONG!" a familiar voice shouted, and Hinata's eyes lit up as a lithe figure flipped through the air, landing in front of the group in a crouched stance.

The crowd gasped in awe as the athletic female stood up straight, "T-TenTen-san!" the shy Hyuga cheered.

A tall, lean girl with chestnut brown hair pulled up in two neat buns and matching almond- colored eyes now stood in between the crowd of fan girls and the Jeep the two cousins were still trapped in, protectively.

Said girl turned to give them a confident wink then, turned back around to smirk at the crowd of girls who stood with their mouths still gaping.

TenTen was a senior girl from Neji's class, and one of his close friends since middle school. She was also one of the few females he respected, as they had both been training in martial arts together for some time and often sparred whenever they could for practice.

"Well, what're you all waiting for? Move along." She crossed her arms over her chest, and raised one eyebrow, as if daring them to try and challenge her.

One of the girls, the first to recover, shook her head, glaring and bravely pointing a shaky finger in the brunette's direction, "N-Now hold on! Don't you go and tell us to leave when you're always hanging around Prince Neji-sempai too!"

"Yeah, who do you think you are anyway? His body guard?" another girl chimed in.

A slow devious smirk slowly crawled across bun-wearing girl's face.

TenTen was known as the 'weapon mistress' because of her love for collecting swords, knives, and other such fighting tools. Not to mention she was the girl's champion Kendo and Mixed Martial Arts fighter of the school. She was undefeated so far, and the captain of the varsity softball team.

It wasn't wise to challenge her, as these girls would soon find out. Her bangs shadowed her face as she reached into her pants pocket and twirled a shiny metal object between her fingers before launching it straight at the girl who had spoken first, who froze up with a shriek, closing her eyes tightly.

It flew past her, barely skimming above her head and cutting a few strands of hair loose before landing in the bark of a nearby tree. She stood completely still, her face almost blue, and her entire body shivering.

"Why yes," TenTen began slowly, the same scary smile still in place, "as a matter of fact I am." Her eyes glinted almost demonically, "So get lost, before I _really_ get serious." She warned, pulled out another three sharp metal objects from behind her back and holding them between her fingers.

The girls squealed in terror, shouting things like "she's a demon!" and "crazy witch!", picking up their fallen comrade, who by now had fainted from fear, and dragging her away as quickly as possible.

"YOU WIN THIS ROUND, BUT WE'LL BE BACK!" they shouted.

TenTen waved gleefully after them, smirking as she twirled what looked to be a sharper kunai in the air before quickly snatching it and striking a pose, "Anytime, anywhere," she winked, going to retrieve the object she had thrown earlier and replacing it in her pocket.

Anyone who knew her well enough knew she always carried at least one hidden knife or weapon around on her at all times for safety measures (though it wasn't as if she really needed it), and also because it was something of a good luck charm, and the feeling of the smooth metal helped reassure her.

Neji climbed out of the jeep, inwardly sighing in relief, Hinata following after him, albeit a bit more cautiously, peeking around with her soft lilac eyes as if expecting a sudden sneak attack.

Neji glanced over at his female classmate smirking, "Hn. You always overdo it, don't you?" he asked teasingly.

"Oh please," she scoffed, arms crossed over her chest and rolling her eyes, "If I hadn't come along, there's no telling where it would have led to. Besides, everybody knows it'd be bad for _Prince_ _Neji's_ reputation, to be seen beating up his loyal followers," she retorted mockingly, giggling.

Ever since he had first gotten that title from his overly-obsessive fan girls, she had spent every minute possible teasing him about it and mocking his fan girls. It had become something of a pastime for her.

"U-Um…a-arigatou…TenTen-san." Hinata mumbled, bowing.

TenTen's gaze shifted to the humble female Hyuga and her eyes softened considerably. "Don't mention it Hinata-chan. And you don't have to call me '_san_' all the time. Just 'TenTen' or 'Ten-chan' is fine." she smiled kindly.

Hinata blushed daintily. "H-Hai…"

Neji turned to her, shifting his back further up on his shoulder before starting to walk off. "Come on…homeroom's about to start." he called to her gently, a small microscopic smile flickering across his face.

Hinata followed, smiling to herself as TenTen walked alongside them.

**(A/N: I thought about ending this chapter right here, since I was anxious to move on to the next one, but since this is supposed to be an introduction into the daily school life of Hinata, i felt it wouldn't really be doing the chapter's title much justice if I cut it short... *sigh* so, make sure you really thank me for this, okay?)**

XoXoXo

The shy indigo-haired girl sat quietly at her desk in homeroom, hands folded neatly in her lap, head down, patiently waiting for class to begin. She was in Kurenai-sensei's homeroom again, and so far, she didn't see any familiar faces, so she had just decided to lie low for the time being.

She bit her lip nervously as she thought. Maybe...none of the others would be in homeroom with her this semester? She squeezed her eyes shut tightly at the thought. No, no! She couldn't think like that. She had to try and be positive.

She took a quick glance at the clock. Class wasn't supposed to start for around another thirty minutes. Kurenai-sensei was nowhere in sight, but that wasn't so unusual. She was probably still taking her early morning break in the teacher's lounge.

She might as well just take it easy for a while... Ten minutes slowly ticked by...then fifteen...and then twenty...the class was almost entirely full now, and Hinata still didn't see anyone she recognized, and she was beginning to lose hope.

That is until, a familiar voice called her name "Hinata, it looks like we'll be in the same homeroom together again this semester, doesn't it?" a calm low voice asked.

Her head instantly shot up in surprise and her wide eyes glistened happily.

"S-Shino!" she exclaimed. The quiet boy adjusted his dark spectacles on his nose and moved to sit in the seat diagonolly across from hers. Shino Aburame was one of her few close male friends, and had been since grade school.

She, Shino, and their other friend Kiba Inuzuka, had been almost inseperable throughout elementary and middle school, always playing together. They were probably two of the only boys her age that didn't find her shyness to be weird or annoying, though Kiba did occasionally enjoy teasing her. She knew it was done all in good fun.

Hinata fidgeted, feeling him observing her through his tinted glasses. "You look...nice." he voice quietly, a microscopic line of pink staining his cheeks, though it was well hidden by the high collar of his jacket.

Hinata's face immediately became fire engine red, "R-Really? I-Ino-c-chan gave m-me some advice about h-how to be more feminine. I... didn't think it'd work f-for me though." she whispered shyly.

She and Ino had a warm and cordial relationship, though they hadn't know each other for very long, and after finding out about the Hyuga's not-so-secret crush, Ino had decided to help Hinata make herself more appealing as to gain the blond boy's attention.

_'If it worked any better you'd need a fire hose just to cool off half the boys in this room..._' the bug-loving boy observed, glancing at the many males drooling at Hinata without her knowledge. Speaking of drooling males, the loudest, most perverted one should be arriving at any minute...the Aburame noted.

"YAHOO! Time for the start of a whole new semester!" a loud voice whooped.

Everyone in the room looked up, Hinata gasping lightly in shock and glee as she had done before, and Shino rolling his eyes underneath his shades. In walked a boy in a dark grey hoodie, with a mischievous grin and a feral glint in his eye. Hinata recognized him immediately. "Kiba-kun!" she gasped.

"Eh?" Kiba turned at the sound of the familiar voice, spotting Shino near the center of the room, though he hadn't noticed Hinata yet.

"Late and obnoxious...as usual." Shino mumbled, annoyance laced in his voice.

"Hey, what's up Shino, Hina-whoa!" Kiba froze, doing a double take as he took in the sight of the quiet indigo-haired beauty sitting with her legs folded daintily and a small blush on her innocent face.

"K-Kiba-kun?" she asked nervously, feeling uneasy as he stared at her as if she were a fresh steak.

He shook his head, seeming to regain his senses, "Y-You...you look great!" he stammered, his jaw slacking. Shino barely managed to suppress a quiet snicker by pretending to cough into his hand.

He happened to know one of Kiba's deepest secrets was that he had a little crush on their cute, timid friend. Of course Hinata was too clueless to guess, and Kiba usually hid it by teasing her or treating her as a 'little sister'.

Hinata smiled shyly, a light pink once again covering her cheeks. "Ehehe...You kinda took me by surprise there for a minute." Kiba grinned, trying to hide his embarrassment by rubbing a finger across his nose, his face flushing a rather noticeable shade of red.

He quickly sat in the seat across from hers and in front of Shino, tripping slightly over his chair. If Shino wasn't the kind of guy he was, he would've slapped his forehead at the corniness of the statement. _'Nice save, Casanova_,' he thought sarcastically.

However, as if by a stroke of luck (at least in Kiba's case), their sensei walked in at just that moment, clad in a sleeveless red shirt that tied around her waist, emphasizing her perfect figure, and a pair of black slacks that fit snugly on her legs and flared slightly at the bottom.

Some of the males in the class leaned forward, drooling, as if trying to see through her clothes. _'Pigs..._' the Inuzuka boy thought, rolling his eyes with a low grunt. _'I mean sure Kurenai-sensei's hot but, she's our teacher man! They don't stand a chance.'_

"Sorry I'm running a little late class; I had some important business to attend to." Kurenai flipped some of her toussled raven hair behind her shoulder, walking over to her desk and organizing a small stack of papers.

"Now, as I'm sure most of you are aware, homeroom won't be very long today since we'll all be going to an assembly meeting held by principal Tsunade in about ten minutes. You're free to do as you please until then, just don't get too carried away." she concluded, sitting down at her desk and begining to do work as the students broke out into quiet murmurs.

Kiba began a mostly one-sided conversation with Shino while said boy commented every so often. Hinata smiled, quietly listening to her friends catch up on things. She was only half paying attention though, her mind consumed with thoughts of what her not-so-secret crush would think of her new look. Would he notice her? Would it make a difference? Or would he just see her as the same weird, fidgeting girl he always had?

Most people forgot that they were breathing because it came so naturally.

Who would notice the stuttering wallflower when she was just a fly on the wall?

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><p><strong>Okay, so the first chapter was…blah, blah, blah. Ho-hum… (at least in my opinion). But I wanna hear yours! Got any ideas to make the story better, any requests you wanna see? I can handle anything as long as it's <strong>_**politely**_** constructive (no blatant bashing is acceptable), and follows the guideline I've already laid out for this story.**

**Also, how quickly I update strongly depends on the number of reviews and the kind of overall responses I get. So…make sure your voice gets heard! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! Just no flames please—I'm allergic. They make me transform into a ferocious, head-biting beast. ;)**

**P.S. Oh and I am also thinking about adding some more pairings into the story. I might add somethings, or i might leave everything the way it is now. If I do decide to add on though, I was thinking maybe GaaxHina, ItaxHina, or maybe even SaixHina, somewhere along those lines. I've discovered that all those pairings can be rather cute if written well enough, and encourage anyone who hasn't explored them to give it a try sometime. But anyway, there's still time left to decide, the story is only just begining after all and nothing's set in stone, right?**


	2. Bad Boy

**Ok, so this is chapter two. Hopefully things will heat up even more here. I've got nothing to say other than that, and…REVIEW!**

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><p>"<em>The true man wants two things: danger and play. For that reason he wants woman, as the most dangerous plaything."<em> -_Friedrich Nietzsche_

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><p><strong>Ch.2<strong>- Bad Boy

Deep onyx stones stared blankly ahead, dark ebony locks gleamed almost surreally in the hall's bright fluorescent lights, and his hands were shoved down in the pockets of his black school trousers.

Crowds seemed to part as he passed, and groups of students looked to him with awe and admiration, mumbling words of praise and wonder. He smirked smugly, basking in all the attention.

"SASUKE-KUN!"

"SASUKE, I LOVE YOU SOOO MUCH!"

"SASUKE-SAMA, PLEASE BE MY BOYFRIEND!"

The raven-haired youth inwardly smirked to himself as he stalked down the hallway, listening to the multitude of girls profess their 'undying love' for him.

He could easily have his pick of any girl he chose, and he often did. Easily charming them, using them for his own personal pleasure, and then leaving them whenever he got bored and no longer had usefulness for them.

And it seemed like no matter how many times he did this, they never seemed to understand the fact that they were little more than pawns to him. They had no individual worth; no lasting place in his heart.

So they really shouldn't act so surprised and heartbroken whenever he decided to move on in search of a new toy. They knew from the start what they were getting into. There was definitely no reason for _him_ to feel bad about it.

He brushed past the herd of females who were all pulling and clawing at him as he walked by, easily shaking them off with a dull shrug, or seducing his way past with a nonchalant glance, which the majority of the school's female population found 'irresistible'.

According to them he was seductive, sexy, and mysterious. But to everyone else, he was the biggest playboy ever to grace the halls of Gekkoukan High, a title he held quite proudly.

Yes he, Sasuke Uchiha, was one of the school's 'celebrities', one of the most popular students with the highest status, and he had the student body wrapped around his little finger.

"Yo Sasuke, over here!" someone called, and he glanced to his side to see a group of students approach him, two males and one female, three in total.

He paused, allowing them to catch up, and they easily fell in stride, forming somewhat of a pyramid around him.

He looked to his right to see a white-haired boy with two unusually sharp rows of teeth grinning at him like a madman (which he really was), his light purple eyes glinting with mischief as usual. This was Suigetsu, one of his loyal 'henchmen', and the one who had called him.

(**A/N: What, you thought it was going to be Naruto calling him? Uum…no. He's a bad boy in this story, remember? Therefore it's only natural he'd have to hang with the 'wrong crowd' sometimes. But don't worry; Naruto still does appear, and they still are close friends, Suigetsu and the others are just the brainless 'followers' who...brainlessly follow Sasuke. XD**)

On his left was an enormous boy with bright orange-hair, wild and spiking in all directions, his hands jammed deep in his pockets and a blank, solemn expression on his face. This was Juugo, a boy whose massive size and unreadable expression alone kept most away, as he tended to be very intimidating, even without trying to be.

Though ironically, he was normally calm and aloof, unless somehow provoked, in which case his violent temper would swing into affect and he would totally lose control. During this time, it was best to stay clear, and it seemed that only Sasuke could calm him when he was in such a state.

Then the there was the final and only female member of the group, Karin. A redhead with messy hair and thick-rimmed glasses who always dressed provocatively and had been one of Sasuke's many temporary "flings".

She had been especially easy to use seeing as there really wasn't much seduction involved. She had simply melted in a puddle at his feet. Unfortunately, she seemed incapable of grasping the concept of their brief relationship being over, and insisted on clinging to Sasuke as if for dear life whenever she had the chance.

"Sasuke-kun," she crooned, wrapping both arms around his well-toned bicep and snuggling as close as possible. "I missed you. Why don't you come over to my place later on so we can do some catching up?" she nibbled on his ear lightly, hoping to seduce him into complying with her suggestion.

The Uchiha only smirked at her advances however, seeming as though unfazed. "Karin..." he spoke in his deep smooth voice that made all the girls go wild, and Karin was definitely no exception.

"Y-Yes, Sasuke-kun?" she perked up, her heart racing in her ribcage.

"It's so pathetic the way you continue to pine after me. I already told you before that you were only a quick form of entertainment for temporary purposes in order to satisfy my needs." he explained flatly.

Karin's mouth dropped open in shock; her already frizzy hair seemed to stand even more on end. She glared at nothing in particular as she heard Suigetsu quietly snickering in the background.

"Wha...B-But Sasuke-kun, what about our relationship? Didn't that have any kind of meaning to you whatsoever?" she put on her sweetest smile, trying to recover without letting Sasuke notice her falter.

"..." he paused as if thinking briefly before replying, "Karin, you're way too emotionally attached. Our relationship was strictly one of convenience. I was feeling unsatisfied and you just so happened to be there," he lamented slowly, finally managing to shrug away from her suffocating hold and casually sauntering down the hall.

Karin froze up, staring after him open-mouthed, the intensity building around her in waves. Suigetsu's muffled laughs got a little louder and Juugo just stood back, eyeing the scene lazily.

"Besides," he continued, never pausing for even a moment, "Your nails were way too sharp and the marks you left looked like a tiger's. Plus, you were only mediocre at best. I can find plenty of other girls to satisfy me. I need someone with a little more to offer and a lot more self-control."

At this point Karin had cracked completely, crumbling away into a little pile of broken rock on the floor, as Suigetsu now lay on his back rolling around while clutching his sides in laughter, and the tall boy closed his eyes with a sigh, running one hand through his spiky hair and shaking his head.

The Uchiha simply kept walking, not even turning around to give his 'companions' a second glance. Why did he even bother with them? They gave him such a headache... Well, mostly Karin. But Suigetsu wasn't far behind. And Juugo... well, Juugo was just there.

He snapped out of his thoughts, glancing around to observe his surroundings. He was in a hallway, somewhere unfamiliar, and it was empty.

That was odd, he decided. It was high time for homeroom to start, he was sure, but the hallways were usually still bumbling with clueless newbies lost and wandering around with wide-eyed helpless expressions.

He glanced at a door nearby. Room # 421, it read. Huh, his classroom was all the way at the other end of the school. But it was okay, his homeroom teacher was Kakashi again, so it's not like he would be late or anything. He had plenty of time.

Not like he cared. As part of his bad reputation, Sasuke normally either arrived to class at least twenty minutes after the bell had rung, or not at all, depending on his mood. Yet he still maintained his almost perfect average. Yes, it paid to come from a wealthy, influential family.

With the vast amount of wealth and power his family possessed, it was really no wonder he led such a lavish, carefree lifestyle, though he chose not to dwell on their material possessions. It didn't mean much to him anyway.

And when it came to satisfying his father as the next in line and possible successor to head the company after he retired, there was no pleasing him.

No matter how much of a god he seemed in everyone else's eyes, he was still just the pathetic screw-up of a son, always compared to his older brother, Uchiha Itachi of the Uchiha Company and number one graduate from Konoha Tech three years ago.

Now he was studying at some elite university overseas for only the best of the best—or in other words, not Sasuke, the slacker dead-beat son of the family that only managed to get by on his parent's name and company power.

It was weird to think about how he had idolized his big brother during childhood, striving to be just like him when he grew up. Now he resented his family's business and everything it stood for, and Itachi was just a constant reminder of their impossible expectations of him and all the things he would never amount to.

It made him angry, thinking about how he had spent his entire life living in his brother's shadow and trying to gain respect for himself through his own achievements, only to have it all overlooked.

That was why he milled through things as if he didn't care. It wasn't that he truly didn't have any values, he was just stubborn. As hell.

He turned the corner, and froze almost immediately, spotting two very familiar, very annoying pests at the other end of the hall. Pink and blond, Ino and Sakura...

They were probably two of the biggest fan girls he had ever come in contact with. Although they still weren't as bad as someone like say, Karin...but then a groupie like her would be pretty hard to beat.

But they were bad enough, coming from a player like Sasuke. He had seen his fair share of clingy, obsessive, annoying, and over-emotional girls, being that he was well, probably the biggest player in the history of the school.

But...these two had been fighting over him since middle school. They had even gone out of their way to come to this high school once they found out he would be there.

Sakura knew his phone number, address, birthday, birth-sign, blood-type, and any other personal information about the Uchiha you could possibly think of by heart, while Ino had been 'secretly' keeping a lock of his hair she thought he didn't know about in a plastic bag for quite some time.

And while there were rumors that Ino would do almost anything, and Sakura was obviously just an easy target, he had made no attempt to approach either of them. Because well, there were some things even a playboy wouldn't do.

Actually, there was that little incident with Ino at Kiba's house party last year involving a double-dog dare, spin the bottle, and several bottles of hard liquor, but luckily she had been too out of it to remember anything afterwards and he simply chose not to.

Anyway, after just barely managing to escape the clingy clutches of Karin, he wasn't exactly in any mood to deal with both his "number one fans" at once. He might just end up strangling someone.

Quickly backtracking before he could be spotted, he found himself standing near the club hall, where the art, music, drama, and cooking clubs were all located.

It still wasn't really close to his classroom, but it was much farther away from those crazed fan girls, for which he was extremely relieved. But the feeling was short-lived when something solid plowed into him from behind.

Thinking it might be yet another of the leeches that always clung to him, he reflexively grabbed their wrist, spinning around to throw them into the opposite wall.

The boy, a blond with spiky hair that stuck out in all directions and three whisker-like marks on each cheek looked at him with startled azure eyes, "S-Sasuke-teme!" he rasped out.

The raven-haired gave the stranger another glance, and after seeing he was no threat whatsoever, visibly relaxed, slouching into a casual position against the wall. "Oh, it's just you..." he confirmed flatly.

Naruto Uzumaki was a clueless, loud, hyperactive idiot, and for whatever reason had remained his best friend and rival since they were in elementary school, even though they were always arguing about almost any and everything, and Naruto got on Sasuke's nerves so much he usually just wanted to ring the blonde's neck.

After taking a few deep breaths and making sure that he was no longer in immediate danger, the blond boy shakily rose to his feet, rubbing his bruised head before giving the Uchiha a sour look, "Is that all you can say? Seriously, what the hell are you on, teme!"

The Uchiha's smirk only grew, "That's what you get for sneaking up on people."

"S-Shut up! You just caught me off guard. So don't think you'll be able to get away with it more than once!"

"Heh...whatever, loser. What do you want, anyway?"

"Sakura's been looking for you all morning and she asked me to help." The blond retorted, still looking somewhat irritated at being 'caught off guard'. It was partly true, anyway.

Sure, while it was no secret that he happened to be madly infatuated with the pink-haired vixen that was pining for his best friend, he also had wanted to see Sasuke as well, though he would never admit that out loud.

"What makes you think I want to talk to her? The only reason I'm wandering around is to avoid her and all the rest of those crazed lunatics." the Uchiha replied coolly, walking down the hall.

The blond followed, close on his heels. His blue eyes were narrowed in annoyance. "Listen teme, I don't care about any of those other girls you date. I mean what you do in your relationships are your business, but don't you dare go treating Sakura-chan like some kind of play toy you can use and then trash when you're done with it! She's worth way more than that!"

The Uchiha didn't so much as pause, his bangs shadowing his pale face as he gave one of his trademark smirks. "Hn... You're right dobe; what I do in my relationships isn't any of your business. I pick a girl, toy around with her for a while and leave her when I get bored. That's the way I am, and it's not going to change. So if you want Sakura so bad then you can have her. Because girls like her are a dime a dozen anyway."

Naruto stopped, his fists clenched tightly at his sides, and his dark blue eyes glaring holes into the Uchiha's back. "Grr...teme!" he hastily raised a fist, charging at the raven-haired boy.

Sasuke half turned, easily catching the punch from over his shoulder and stopping it mere inches from his face. He smirked tauntingly, staring into the blonde's scowling, whiskered face. "Heh...you really are a baka, letting your emotions take control like that."

His grip on the Uzumaki's fist tightened, and the blond winced slightly. "You'd better give it up before you get hurt though, 'cause you're way out of your league this time, dobe." With that he released his hand, allowing the boy to get back his circulation.

Stepping away, he turned smoothly on his heel, beginning to saunter calmly down the hall as if nothing happened.

"Teme! You'd better watch your back, 'cause one day I'm gonna whip your pretty boy ass!" the threat echoed down the deserted hallway.

The raven closed his eyes, his lips quirked in a light smirk as he heard the words bounce off the walls before fading away. '_Tch...I'd like to see you try, dobe._'

Ten minutes of wandering around later found him at the top of the stairs that led to the school's rooftop.

It was a quiet, serene place to take a nap, skip class, have lunch, or just go to unwind. Sasuke often found himself drifting there when he wanted to escape the stress of his obsessive fans, whiny ex's, or so-called 'friends'.

Normally, it was deserted, making it ideal for someone like him. But today there was someone sprawled out across a bench, close to the roof's fence, staring up at the bright blue sky as if watching the clouds.

The steady rise and fall of their chest indicated that they were resting peacefully, and as the Uchiha drew closer, he recognized the male as one of his classmates, the lazy genius Nara Shikamaru.

When it came to slackers, this guy probably took the cake. Even with an incredible IQ of over 200, Shikamaru had absolutely zero motivation, and either fell asleep during class, or skipped altogether.

Despite this he was a pretty popular guy and part of the school's 'in-crowd', composed of students that ruled the school, with Sasuke ranking number one of course.

Glancing in Sasuke's direction, the spiky-ponytailed slacker sat up with a wide yawn, stretching. "Yo," he mumbled in the Uchiha's direction, tiredly ruffling his hair with one hand.

"Hn," was the Uchiha's response. "Skipping again?" he asked flatly.

Shikamaru gave a lazy smirk, "I could ask you the same thing." he retorted.

"I just thought I'd catch a little down-time up here." the raven shrugged, leaning against the railing, "I guess I should've figured I'd find you lounging up here."

"Yeah well, with Ino on the prowl, there's no telling what crazy schemes she might try to drag me into. So I decided to play it safe and stay here for a while. Guess I just dozed off watchin' the clouds," the genius replied, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket before offering one to the Uchiha, who took it silently.

Sasuke pulled out his lighter and they both lit up, staring off into space again. "So...what's up with your girl toys, you get bored again already?" Shikamaru finally asked, breaking the silence.

The Uchiha took a long puff and slowly blew the smoke out in a steady stream. "Actually, I just needed a break to clear my head. But now that you mention it, it is about time to switch up again. But this time... I want someone a little more challenging than the usual line-up."

The Nara smirked, exhaling his own breath of smoke. "Then why not go for a softer type than the one-nighters you usually hook up with?"

The Uchiha returned the smirk, giving the Nara an approving look. "Hn...So you really are a genius after all."

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><p>Hinata Hyuga fidgeted nervously as she walked with her class down the long row in the auditorium where the assembly was being held. Their seats were closer to the front than she would've liked, and the large room was already almost half way full, students chatting with their friends as a dull hum filled the room.<p>

She gulped, twiddling with her fingers and trying to block out the sounds around her. If she just pretended that no one was there, then she'd be ok, right? But somehow that didn't really seem to be working...

Her heart pounded in her chest, and she timidly peered around, hoping to find something reassuring to concentrate on other than her own feet.

That was when it happened... she looked eyes with the most mesmerizing pair of deep blue orbs she had ever seen, and her pulse rate shot up to an all-time high.

He seemed to notice her, and for a split second she could've sworn he smiled in her direction. He gave her a subtle wink and a coy grin, and she felt her knees turning to jelly.

Stumbling, she almost lost her balance when a firm grip on her arm steadied her. She turned around to meet the concerned gaze of her brown-haired friend, her cheeks still flaming red from moments ago.

"Hey, are you alright, Hinata? Your face is as red as an apple!" he exclaimed, only causing her to blush harder.

"Y-Yes...I'm f-fine," she mumbled quietly, swallowing hard.

Kiba gave a small frown, looking unconvinced, "Well, if you say so...but just tell me if something's up, ok?" She nodded vigorously, and he let go off her arm just as they reached their seats.

She sat down between Shino and Kiba, gazing restlessly at her lap as she replayed the scene over and over again in her mind. '_H-He __**winked**__ at me! H-He actually __**noticed**__ me!_' she squealed mentally.

It was a moment she would probably cherish for the rest of her life. Suddenly, the lights in the auditorium dimmed, and the students became silent.

Hinata looked up in surprise, realizing she must have been daydreaming for longer than she'd thought, because the room was now completely full, and their principal, Tsunade, was up on stage, getting ready to deliver the speech.

"Students of Gekkoukan High, let me just start by welcoming you to the start of another great year!" she said into the microphone, polite clapping following afterward.

Hinata did her best to focus on what the principal was saying, and not the thought of a certain loud-mouthed blond repeatedly running through her head.

Meanwhile, said blond was sulking a mere few rows away as he half-listened to their principal's words, most of his attention focused on the fact that his long-time crush Sakura Haruno was sitting right next to him and all she could think about was that his rival **Sasuke** wasn't there.

'_Grr...Damnit Sasuke-teme! Even when you're __**not **__around you __**still**__ mess everything up!_' the blonde thought with a frustrated growl from under his breath.

"Why isn't Sasuke-kun here yet?" Sakura whined for the umpteenth time.

Naruto's scowl only deepened as he mentally cursed the Uchiha to oblivion. '_Why is it always Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke!'_ he raged silently. '_Why can't she just forget about him and talk to me for a change!'_

And as if by magic, the pinkette suddenly turned around, her emerald eyes sparkling brightly even in the dim lighting. Naruto looked surprised that her mood had picked up so suddenly, but hey, if she was that happy to be near him, why not just go with it?

He slowly moved to put an arm around her shoulders, when she swung her arm suddenly, accidently knocking him forward into the back of the chair in front of him.

"Sasuke-kun's here!" she gasped excitedly, and the blond slowly lifted himself up, glancing back while rubbing the sore spot on his head to see none other than the infamous Uchiha wearing his signature scowl and being followed by their perverted mask-wearing homeroom teacher.

Sasuke roughly nudged past Naruto's legs to squeeze in between him and Sakura, causing an angry vein to appear on the blonde's forehead.

"There!" their sensei chirped cheerfully as he sat down, seemingly ignoring the heavy aura of rage surrounding the Uchiha being aimed at his direction. "Now everyone's here!" he grinned beneath his ever-present mask. "So what'd I miss?"

Naruto snickered quietly at Sasuke's irritated face, and Sakura swooned that her 'dark prince' was finally here, hearts in her eyes.

The assembly continued on like this for another agonizingly long (well at least in Sasuke's opinion) fifty-minutes, and when it was finally time to leave, the Uchiha had to hide his excited smirk behind another heavy frown.

His mind soon wandered back to his earlier thoughts, and he began to mentally check his list of previous *ahem* play toys for a suitable new target, only to come up short-handed.

'_It shouldn't be this hard to find someone with all the girls just dying to get in my pants around here..._' he scowled openly. '_But none of them are the kind of challenge I'm looking for. I'm tired of the same sleazy whores clawing at me all the time...'_

That's when he caught sight of her for the first time...

A petite, indigo-haired girl was exiting a few rows ahead of them with her class. She was fumbling with her fingers and her face was flushed a light shade of pink.

He watched her movements carefully, studying her slightly stooped form as she continued to stare downward, her hair swishing with every move she took.

She was wearing a fitted lavender jacket over the school uniform, showcasing her perfect hourglass figure. He eyed her hungrily, imagining what might be hiding underneath that jacket.

"Hey dobe," he called to the obnoxious blond behind him.

"Yeah, what do you want _now_, teme?" he huffed, agitated with the Uchiha for calling him by that nickname _and_ for stealing all of Sakura's attention...again.

"Who's that girl walking with Shino and the dog boy?" he asked suddenly.

"Hm?" the blond squinted to see who his friend might be referring to, and he caught sight of the timid Hyuga as her class was leaving the auditorium. "Eh? You mean Hinata-chan?" he asked skeptically, scratching at his scalp in confusion.

It wasn't unusual for Sasuke to scope for new girls when he got bored of playing around with the others, but he couldn't seriously have a thing for _Hinata_, could he?

He smirked, '_Hinata...so that's her name, huh?_'

"Tell me about her." he commanded.

"Uh...well, I don't know that much, except she's from a super rich family that owns like, half the companies in Tokyo, and uh, let's see...oh yeah, she's always hanging around with that mutt _Kiba_ and the bug-boy Shino, and she's supposed to be related to Neji or something...plus she's really weird. Always blushing and stuttering and stuff," the blond stated, shrugging nonchalantly.

He wouldn't show it, but inside Sasuke was getting excited. She sounded like exactly the kind of challenging he was looking for, and before long, she would be his to play with. '_That's a promise..._' he thought darkly.


	3. Predator and Prey

**Hello again everyone. Thank you for all your outstanding support and I look forward to writing more fabulous chapters, so please stay tuned. But first, I'd like to address a few minor concerns it seems some of you have been having.**

**One I get a lot is why Sasuke's such a jerk. Well, that's simple actually. He's a PLAYER, the kind that doesn't hide it either. Seriously ladies, what player have you ever heard of that's a proper gentlemen to the girls he uses before and after he dumps them? lol Of course he's going to be ruthless.**

**But don't worry, it **_**will**_** eventually catch up to him. Karma does have a funny way of doing that, doesn't it? But unfortunately for some of you, that is still some ways off, so for now, he remains the same womanizing jerk we all know and loathe (in a fan-girl sort of way). haha ;)**

**P.S. Though I like her, Sakura may appear to be somewhat antagonistic, as she is struggling internally between her infatuation with Sasuke and her friendship with Hinata, who she now views differently, as a result of certain circumstances. Ok? Please don't be mad at me, and try not to be too hard on Sakura.**

**The following quote was made specifically for this chapter, if you'd like to borrow it, please just talk to me first. **

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><p>"<em>Let's waste another minute not; no, not another day! For I'm a very hungry predator and you are but my prey..." –storygirl1015<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Ch. 3<strong>- Predator and Prey

Hinata nervously rung her hands together as she stood in the hallway, waiting for Kiba or Shino to stop by and walk with her to their next class, third period. They had split up after the assembly was over, Kiba and Shino heading to their History class with Asuma-sensei and Hinata going to P.E. with Anko and Gai-sensei.

Anko was the instructor for the girls while Gai-sensei usually handled the boys, except on Monday's, Wednesday's and Friday's when their classes joined for group sports. And it was just her luck that today would be Wednesday...

Hinata always hated changing alone in the locker room, where all the other girls eyed her chest and curves jealously. But what she hated most was having to do group sports, and getting put on a team with a bunch of competitive, rowdy males.

She didn't have a problem working with others so much; but the boys always got so close in her personal space when they were playing sports, and it made her flustered, not to mention the looks they gave her when she got sweaty and the uniform clung to her body.

Luckily, she'd been placed on a team with a senior girl named Temari as the captain this time. Even though they'd only met recently, they had hit it off quite well. Temari was tough and never let anyone push her around, something Hinata both respected and admired.

She would make sure the boys kept their distance when they were playing basketball, and shot glares at anyone who tried making messing with Hinata. The timid brunette was very grateful.

But now she was by herself again, waiting for her two male friends so they could all go to Science class together.

She didn't want to leave without them; it wouldn't be very nice, especially if they didn't know where she was. But if they didn't hurry, the bell would ring and they would all be in trouble...

'_I wonder where they a-are?_' she thought nervously, chewing her lip. They always walked with her whenever they were in the same class together. But today they seemed to be running late.

It wouldn't be so worrisome if not for the fact that she seemed to be attracting much more attention than usual. Especially from passing males. They would nudge each other and grin as they glanced in her direction, while females eyed her perfect figure enviously, noticing all the attention she was receiving. Hinata, for her part, shrank back every time someone tried making direct eye contact with her.

It was beginning to make her feel slightly uncomfortable. She was used to being overlooked; Neji had always been the one to stand out for his looks, intelligence and athletic abilities. Now, ever since her mini-makeover with Ino-chan and Sakura-san over the break, it was like people were seeing her for the first time.

It was funny what new clothes and some added touch-ups in just the right places could do for a person...it was like going from a nobody to a celebrity overnight.

She continued to wait for another few minutes, sighing quietly when the halls began to thin out slightly and there was still no trace of her friends. Reluctantly deciding she had no choice but to go ahead without them, she turned to walk to class, only to catch sight of a certain dark-haired male as he brushed past her.

She gasped. Dark onyx eyes, black hair tinted blue and flawlessly pale skin... Their eyes seemed to connect for a fraction of a second and Hinata felt her body fizzle in surprise as if she'd received a small shock of electricity. She hurriedly looked away and rushed to her next class, not noticing the Uchiha's smirk as he followed her every move with his cold eyes.

She managed to make it to class just seconds before the bell rang, huffing slightly as she walked in, and noticing everyone else was already seated. The teacher, a creepy dark-haired man named Orochimaru smiled widely at her as she entered.

The room was a typical science lab, with long black tables situated methodically around the room, grouping students together, and test tubes and beakers lining shelves along the back walls.

She blushed as she felt everyone's attention focused on her, before hearing the oily voice of their teacher saying, "Ah, Ms. Hyuga...so glad you could join us. Now...where shall we have you sit? Hm...Perhapsss...over there, with the other girls," he motioned toward a table near the back corner, and she nervously looked up.

Her face instantly brightened as she noticed Sakura, Ino, and another girl she didn't recognize already seated there. She quickly hurried to her seat, stumbling once but managing to catch herself without further incident.

She sat down quietly, and Ino immediately greeted her happily, along with Sakura, who offered her a small smile. The dark-haired girl, whose name she still didn't know, only eyed her warily.

"Hey, Hinata! I didn't know you were in this class too," Ino exclaimed. "Wow, you look even better than I thought you would! Naruto won't know what hit him!"

Hinata blushed lightly, nodding, "Y-Yes...I'm glad w-we're all together." she whispered back as Orochimaru began taking attendance.

Among the first names he called was 'Aburame', and when quietness deftly filled the room, he moved on, and before long had reached the I's, 'Inuzuka' ringing out through the room and once again being met with silence.

Hinata frowned slightly, where _were_ they?

When, he got to the U's, Hinata's heart raced.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he announced snakishly. And like wildfire, half the class's female students instantly began squealing and gasping at the mention of the Uchiha's name. Some even stood up in their seats to search, looking around frantically as if hoping to spot him any moment. Hinata gazed around at all the anxious girls, seeing that even her friends were worked up, and silently wondering why they were getting so excited over someone like Sasuke.

She didn't know very much about him, except that he was known for being cold, callous, and extremely ruthless when it came to his relationships and the manner in which he went about selecting girls he found suitable enough to date.

Neji had always warned her to stay away from him at all costs, and to tell him if he ever approached her, but Hinata had absolutely no interest in him anyways, and it wasn't as if he'd just walk up to someone like _her_ to ask her out.

"Uchiha Sasuke?" the sensei repeated, glancing around the room. Not getting a response, he frowned slightly, _creepily_, "Well then, let's move o—"

But before he could finish, the door opened, and everyone seemed to hold their breath. The girls craned their necks to look, but Hinata sat back calmly, not really paying much attention.

Then there was a quiet squeal from somewhere in the room, and Hinata could just barely see spiked black hair as he swiftly moved down the aisle to his spot at the table right next to a certain blond.

"Took you long enough, teme!" Naruto frowned at the raven-haired male as he sat down beside him.

"Shut up, dobe." he responded coolly, his eyes already scanning the room as he searched for his target.

Truth be told, he hadn't planned on coming at first. Not just because he was a delinquent, but also because this class's teacher _really_ got under his skin, which wasn't an easy task.

But then Orochimaru wasn't exactly everybody's favorite teacher. He seemed to have a knack for creeping most everybody out, including the other teachers.

His skin was sickeningly pale, almost gray, and the pupils in his gold eyes were nothing more than vertical slits. His tongue was three times longer than any normal human's should be, and he was always licking his lips whenever Sasuke happened to look up.

Everything about the man screamed '_danger_', '_snake_' and '_pedophile_' to the Uchiha, and he loathed him with a passion. The only thing that'd made him change his mind was the fact that Naruto happened to have mentioned that the Hyuga and her two freakish friends were supposed to be in the same class, according to the mutt (as he often referred to Kiba) that was.

Not that he cared about her circus freak friends. But the best way to get to know his new prey was by watching her closely and seeing how she usually functioned, that way he'd know the exact moment to pounce. He smirked to himself, spotting the quiet indigo-haired girl sitting in the back corner.

He noticed how she seemed to be the only girl in the room currently not busy drooling over him. She was staring blankly ahead, a small tint of pink dusting her cheeks. It was obvious she was in her own world, oblivious to everything else around her.

'_Heh...poor Hyuga... you're so clueless. You have no idea what's in store for you..._' he thought darkly.

That is...until the voice of a certain obnoxious blonde cut through his thoughts, "Hey, whatcha lookin' at?" he asked, his eyes following the direction his friend seemed to be staring in, only to land directly on the shy Hyuga girl.

"Eh? Hinata-chan again?" Naruto mumbled, his brows furrowing in confusion. '_She_ does _look kinda different though...I wonder why?'_

He was about to question the Uchiha further, when he heard the same slippery voice call his name, "Uzumaki Naruto?" His attention was drawn back to the front of the classroom, where their very...creepy teacher was once again taking roll.

-XOXO-

"Here!" came a loud voice from the other side of the room, and Hinata shyly looked to see her blond-haired angel waving an arm excitedly.

'_S-So I'll b-be in this class with Naruto-kun after all!' _she thought happily, a soft smile and a rather noticeable blush on her face.

As the teacher finished calling role, the students all grew quiet, noticing the dangerous gleam in the man's eyes. "Now, for your first assignment...I'm going to have you partner up in groups of three for a project...I will assign you all groups momentarily and I expect it to be done by next week. You will have to demonstrate your knowledge of the human anatomy by...giving me a thorough report on the difference between the male and female body."

Everyone groaned and Hinata felt her face heat up at this news. Great! Just what she needed—an embarrassing project where she could make a fool of herself in front of the entire class...

"Great, the first day of class and he's already giving us freaking group work!" she heard Ino grumble from her side. "Well, as long as I don't get stuck with some moron I'm okay."

"The first group isss... Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akamichi Choji..." he drawled out in his hiss-like manner.

Shikamaru merely yawned, his head resting on one hand, while Choji continued to 'quietly' sneak chips from underneath the table.

Ino immediately groaned, dropping her head down on the desk and clutching at her blond hair with both hands. "_Noo_!" her muffled wails sounded from the hard table. "Not the lazy ass _and_ food boy! Why me?" her plaintive mumbling died down into what sounded like broken sobs as Orochimaru continued assigning groups.

Hinata waited patiently as he went down the list, listening carefully as he grouped students one by one and straining for any hint of her name, _or_ the name of her effervescent blond.

"Hyuga Hinata..." he began, and she sucked in a sharp intake of breath, silently crossing her fingers, "Watasabi Kin, and..." the next few seconds passed like hours as she sat trembling in her seat, "Uchiha Sasuke." He finished, looking quite proud of himself as he smirked.

Hinata's face swiftly changed from hopeful, to shocked, to horrified. Her entire complexion blanched, her skin turning a ghastly shade of eggshell white, and her eyes widening in a scandalized state.

Swallowing to relieve the pressure in her suddenly dry throat, she slowly glanced up to see that most of the room's occupants looked just as surprised as she did, some huffing and grumbling curses about the unfairness of it all.

The boys giving the Uchiha hateful stares at having been paired up with the indigo-haired beauty, who suddenly seemed more delectable, than anyone remembered her being. The girls' reactions varied from hurt, to angry, to envy, and everything in between, some feeling it to be the greatest injustice in the universe while some simply wished for better luck the next time.

Hinata looked up to see Ino's shocked stare, though she looked mostly concerned, as if wondering if the delicate Hyuga could handle being the center of every fan girl in school's animosity for the entirety of the project.

Sakura, on the other hand, looked absolutely floored, as if she'd just gotten a shock that'd sent her reeling over the edge. Slowly, her dazed green orbs lifted up to meet Hinata's and she offered her a weak smile, though there was something pained and, almost forced about the gesture.

Sasuke's reaction was carefully masked, as per usual. But inwardly, he was experiencing an almost high-state as he thought of how much easier getting close to the shy Hyuga had just become. '_This couldn't have been more perfect if I'd planned it,_' he thought slyly.

Hinata sighed as she sat down in the crowded cafeteria, bustling with students chatting and eating. It was lunch time, finally. And she could almost swear that the last class had taken at least a whole five years off her life.

It was that tense after the partners for projects had been assigned. She shivered, remembering the leers she got from almost every girl in the room.

The other member of their group, who she'd found out was the brunette that'd been sitting at their table when she'd entered, didn't seem too fond of her...or anyone for that matter. And it was like she could _feel_ frostbite every time she looked in her eyes.

Naruto, unfortunately, had been paired up with Sakura, and another girl named Ami, and even though Hinata silently envied Sakura, she could tell the pink-haired girl would do almost anything to be in her position.

Besides that, the rest of class had been uneventful. Well aside from the constant squabbling from Ino and her group.

Kin Watasabi, who she learned was the dark-haired girl sitting with her at the table earlier, did most of the talking, telling (or rather commanding) her partners that they should use her idea for the project. Hinata was more than willing to take the backseat and let Kin lead the way, only offering her opinion the few times she was asked.

Sasuke seemed to sit back quietly, observing, though what exactly Hinata wasn't sure. Being near him made her want to literally become invisible, so much, that she had briefly closed her eyes and silently willed herself to lose all traces of opaqueness, but to no avail.

This had earned her a weird look from Kin and a blank stare from the Uchiha, which had made her feel even _more_ exposed, and all the more embarrassed, as if she _hadn't _been about to explode already.

But now it was lunchtime, time for peace. She could talk with her friends and just enjoy the intermission she got as a reward for surviving this far through the day. To some it might have been just a small moment not even worth the bother of mention, but to Hinata it was pure and utter bliss.

"Hey, Hinata!" she quickly whirled around at the sound of the familiar voice, only to see Kiba hurrying towards her, looking a little red in the face. Shino was following along at a much calmer pace.

She gasped quietly as they approached her, Kiba sliding into the seat across from hers, and Shino sitting beside him on her left. "What's up?" the Inuzuka grinned with a huff, seemingly still trying to catch his breath. "Sorry I missed you last period, we got a little...er, side-tracked." He finished, scratching his neck nervously.

Hinata tilted her head in confusion, but Kiba seemed unwilling to elaborate. Luckily, he didn't have to, because Shino was there.

"Kiba got into another fight, and since I had to intervene, we both spent the last hour in a half at the principal's office." Shino explained with a small sigh.

Hinata gasped in shock and horror. Kiba had gotten in another fight? ...That was possibly the fifth one since the end of last semester! Hinata was getting worried. She knew Kiba long enough to know he could be wild and was rather cocky at times; he wasn't one to back down from a challenge for sure. But if he kept this up, he'd be expelled before too long.

Kiba snorted as he pulled out his lunch— a double-decker sandwich with extra meet, a bag of chips, some dango and a soda. "Yeah well, that Kankuro punk was asking for it! I mean, who does he think he is anyway?" He savagely bit into the sandwich, chewing somewhat messily.

"The older brother of the school's menace and the second in command of one of the roughest street-gangs around," Shino interjected calmly.

Now Hinata was definitely feeling nauseous. Kankuro? As in Kankuro of the Sand rebels from Suna, the thug who was known for his sadistic tendencies and cruel, underhanded tricks when it came to fighting? Kiba had gone up against _him_?

Hinata was sure she would have a heart-attack before too long at this rate. "K-Kiba-kun...promise me you'll be careful, and try not to pick fights..." she mumbled pleadingly, knowing scolding him would be useless.

He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, noticing her genuinely worried expression, and couldn't help but feel his heart clench slightly. He sighed deeply before addressing the petite girl across from him.

"Fine, I'll try..." he ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair, ruffling it slightly. "But if that guy gets in my face again, I'm gonna punch his lights out!" he growled, taking another bite of his sandwich.

Hinata simply smiled, accepting this response as an agreement to her earlier request.

"Hey guys!" the quiet atmosphere was suddenly broken as more of their friends came running. She turned and smiled as she watched TenTen and Neji walking towards them, girls swooning at him as he passed. Ino came afterwards, dragging Shikamaru, who looked quite bored, by one arm, Choji following behind merrily. It was no secret that lunchtime was his absolute favorite part of the day.

As the group sat down, Hinata smiled kindly greeting them quietly before turning her eyes to the brown-haired boys with the almost identical pale orbs. "H-Hi n-nii-sama," she greeted quietly.

The Hyuga prodigy let a barely visible upward tilt of his mouth that could be vaguely recognized as a smile grace his lips in response. "Hello, Hinata-sama." He inwardly chuckled at his cousin's cute meekness. "How has your day been so far?"

She bit her lip and averted her gaze to the food of her homemade bento, which she'd been stirring thoughtfully for some time. She knew she was a horrible liar, but how could she tell her overprotective cousin about Chemistry class, and that she was now partners with one of the biggest womanizing jerks on the face of the planet?

"Um...i-it's been f-fine so far," she winced, hoping he wouldn't notice and replacing her apprehensive look with a nervous smile instead.

Neji stared at her inquisitively, knowing there was something else but deciding to question her when they were alone, not wanting to make her feel flustered in front of all their friends.

"HEY, GUYS!" an exuberant voice suddenly rang out, silencing half the cafeteria. Everyone looked up, and Hinata felt her heart skip a beat. They all turned to see a sunny blond bouncing towards them, a raven-haired boy in tow, along with a pink-haired girl who was hanging onto his arm.

Hinata caught sight of those dark obsidian eyes and couldn't help but gasp. What was _he_ doing here? She wanted to scream in terror before running away to hide in a corner somewhere, when his steely gaze met hers and he seemed to..._smirk_. He actually _smirked_ at her, but she seemed to be the only one to notice.

The trio sat down and the whole group seemed to practically gape simultaneously in awe. Sure, it wasn't so unusual for Naruto or even Sakura to join them, but _the_ Uchiha Sasuke sitting with them at lunch was unheard of!

The reclusive Uchiha preferred to eat somewhere quiet where he could be alone in peace. What could have possibly drawn him to actually come and sit down at their table?

"Hey..." Sasuke said coolly, as if his appearance were nothing out of the ordinary.

Awkwardly, the group responded with their own series of greetings, ranging from "what up?" to a "the hell are you doing here?" courtesy of Kiba. This earned him a scathing look from Sakura that made Hinata wince.

"So...anything interesting happen with any of you guys today?" TenTen said, breaking the silence.

Everyone seemed to think for a moment before Naruto suddenly blurted out, "Oh yeah! I got a 'B' on my essay in literature class, so Iruka-sensei told me he would take me out for ramen later!"

Hinata smiled to herself at his excitement, but before she could congratulate him properly, she was cut off by a rude scoff, "Tch...dobe. Don't be so proud of yourself, you only got that grade because Sakura did most of the work. Still, _she_ got an A on the paper, and all you did was copy. You're such a baka..." Sasuke muttered, looking decidedly uninterested in the blond's ramblings.

Sakura was swooning at the words of praise from her crush, even though it was meant as more of a put-down towards Naruto.

"Shut up Sasuke-teme! Sakura-chan only helped me out a little. I didn't copy! You're just mad that you don't have anything to make fun of me for any more!" Naruto shouted back, glaring at the raven-haired boy across from him.

Hinata fidgeted nervously with her chopsticks as their argument ensued, her stomach suddenly doing flips, and the delicious food she'd been looking forward to all day abruptly not seeming as appetizing. In fact, the knots twisted in her stomach were so tight she doubted she'd be able to keep anything she ate down for too long.

As she dabbed a small piece of grilled fish in some soy sauce and slowly lifted it to her quivering lips, hoping it would go down easily, a voice spoke suddenly, causing her to drop her chopsticks in surprise, "So, Hinata...you were paired up with Sasuke for the project, huh?"

The startled Hyuga looked up to see Sakura eyeing her intently. The beautiful pinkette had her hands folded neatly in front of her and her elbows propped up on the table, an act of bad etiquette she managed to pull off so gracefully.

Hinata blinked innocently at the pink-haired girl. The question itself seemed offhanded enough, but she didn't miss the fiery spark in those pretty green eyes.

Hinata nodded quietly. "Y-Yes, i-it seems so..."

Sakura eyed her levelly again before speaking, "But you don't like Sasuke-kun at all, do you?"

"W-Well I...d-don't really know much about him." was Hinata's honest answer.

"Hmm. Either way, I know a lot of girls that would kill to be in your place," she informed her, studying her manicured nails carefully. "You really are pretty lucky, Hinata. Just be sure you don't get too carried away," And with that, she turned away from the speechless Hyuga girl to rejoin a conversation Ino and TenTen were having about some new spa that'd just opened not too long ago.

But Hinata couldn't bring herself to join in, not that she knew much about that sort of thing anyway. She had only been to a spa on a few occasions, during family vacations. It was a nice luxury, but one she could do without.

Instead, she found herself pondering Sakura's words, wondering what she could've possibly meant by getting too 'carried away'. '_W-why would I...U-Uchiha-san and I h-have never even h-had a direct conversation before. A-and even if he is known for being pretty c-cold towards girls, I doubt h-he even k-knows my first name,'_

She had no way of knowing what the Uchiha _really_ thought of her.

She had no way of knowing that in the days to come, her school life would change drastically.

She had no way of knowing... just how wrong she was.

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><p><strong>Phew! The much anticipated third chapter is finally done! Was it everything you guys hoped for? Sorry if it wasn't, I admit, with everything going on and summer winding down :( , I kinda lost steam towards the end. Could you tell? Well, hopefully the following chapters will make up for it. Until then, please remember to review!<strong>


	4. Reading Between the Lines

**Whoa, holy cow! I am both shocked and uplifted by the number of reviews for last chapter. I'm not sure, but I think that may be a new record for me. So I want to thank all you guys again for your wonderful support. You all have no idea how much it inspires me. Also**, **I expected people would have shown more interest once this story took off, but I had **_**no idea**_** just how much! You all are so great! Thanks for everything, and I hope to be able to continue writing chapters everyone can come to enjoy.**

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><p>"<em>A woman can say more in a sigh than a man can say in a sermon." –Arnold Haultain<em>

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><p><strong>Ch. 4- <strong>Reading Between the Lines

"What! No way! You really got partnered up with _him_?" the older brunette stared at the timid female incredulously, shaking her head in sympathy. It was the end of the day, finally, and Hinata was standing in the parking lot as she waited for Neji, and TenTen waited for her ride, telling her of the day's events.

She had felt frantic after leaving lunch, Sakura's words buzzing continuously in her head. She had fidgeted nervously through the rest of her classes, and unconsciously averted the topic of anything being wrong whenever someone questioned her flustered state.

But now, Hinata had reached her breaking point. She really needed someone to confide in. So when the bun-wearing, athletic girl had approached her, asking her if there was something or someone bothering her, Hinata had immediately told her everything, everything flooded out all at once like water from a broken dam.

After finishing, she stared down at her shoes timidly, feeling flustered and breathless. Recalling the events of the day had only reminded her just how much energy it'd taken out of her. She was exhausted. She looked up to meet the concerned gaze of her senior friend, who was frowning slightly.

"Hinata, have you told Neji about this yet? I'm not sure it's such a good idea for you to be around that guy. I mean he's cute and all, but he's such a total jerk. If he tried to pull anything on you I'd seriously have to punch his face in." TenTen lectured and fussed over her like a worried mother, her tone and expression completely serious.

Hinata couldn't help but crack a small but sincere smile at this. It felt nice to have someone care. But then she remembered the weapon mistress' question and her eyes widened in distress as she shook her head frantically.

"N-No! P-Please, d-don't tell niisan! I...I don't want him to worry about me. I'll b-be fine, I promise." Hinata begged, her eyes large and pleading. TenTen studied her for a moment, before sighing in defeat. "Fine. I promise I won't say anything about it for now...but if things get to out of hand, you have to come tell me or someone right away. That guy's bad news, Hinata."

Hinata smiled sweetly, glad TenTen had agreed not to tell her overprotective cousin. "A-arigatou, TenTen-chan!" she bowed graciously.

"No problem," TenTen smiled back.

Just then, they heard a honk sounding from behind them, and turned around to see TenTen's mom pulling up in their family van. The older woman gave Hinata a friendly smile and waved, to which Hinata responded to shyly, blushing.

TenTen said her final farewells for the day and climbed in the back of the van, throwing her bag in the trunk and shutting the door. The car's horn honked once more as they pulled off and Hinata waved.

She sighed, staring at her feet. _'How am I going to hide this from niisan...?' _she wondered to herself. Her cousin had a reputation of not only being protective, but also keenly observant when it came to anything involving Hinata.

'_I...I can't lie, and I can't a-avoid him...' _she bit her bottom lip nervously. "W-what should I do?"

"What should you do about what?"

Hinata gasped, quickly whirling around to see none other than her cousin Neji standing behind her, sweaty and holding his bag of sports equipment slung over his shoulder. "N-niisan!"

His long hair was a little disheveled and he was wearing knee-length shorts and a red jersey with his last name and team number on the back. Apparently he'd just gotten back from sports' practice. Hinata held a finger to her mouth timidly as she studied him. If she remembered correctly, it was soccer practice today.

She was glad his fans weren't here at the moment though; seeing Neji sweaty and wearing his sports gear was like a twisted fantasy of theirs. They'd probably try to rip off his clothes so they could fight over them or add the clothing to their creepy shrine dedicated to the Hyuga genius. Honestly she'd rather just not know.

"So, what were you saying?" he asked again, walking towards the car with Hinata following, fidgeting with her fingers.

"O-oh! I was just...thinking about this p-project I h-have in science class." she smiled sheepishly. "I-it's n-no big deal, r-really!" She assured him. There, she mentally sighed in relief. Now she had told him what was on her mind without actually lying to him.

Neji raised an eyebrow skeptically, still not convinced by his cousin's story. There was definitely something off about her behavior. She had been acting extra panicky ever since he'd spoken to her at lunch. Clearly there was something else she wasn't telling him, and he was determined to find out what.

"If it's nothing then why are you so nervous? Do you need help with the class?" he asked as they both got into the car, buckling their seatbelts as Neji pulled out his keys and slipped it into the ignition.

"Uh, w-well, n-not exactly..." she mumbled, looking out the window as if hesitating.

Neji noticed his cousin's gaze deliberately directed away from his and grunted under his breath in frustration. "Hinata, you can't hide things from me. I know you inside and out. Now tell me what's bothering you,"

Hinata gulped, noting the very stern tone in his voice. It was extremely solemn, even more so than usual. "I...it's just the p-project is...I'm not sure i-if I-I'll be much help...to my group that is." She made a vague gesture with her hands, trying to hide her nervousness as her pulse beat erratically under Neji's penetrating leer.

Even without looking directly at him and him focusing his attention on the road, she knew he was listening, carefully scrutinizing her every word and analyzing each detail, listening for any sign of faltering that might make her story seem suspicious.

She waited for his response with baited breath as Neji seemed to mull her words over in his head. After possibly the longest two minutes of Hinata's life, he finally responded, "Alright."

A wave of relief washed over her and she released the breath she'd been holding in a shaky, audible sigh. "But," he spoke again, and Hinata visibly froze, nearly wide-eyed in panic, "if there _is_ something going on and I find out about it, rest assure that I _will_ handle the problem, whether you want me to become involved or not."

Hinata swallowed silently, sending him a weak smile as she nodded rigidly. She understood the message perfectly. Neji would play along for now, regardless of whether or not he believed her (something she still wasn't sure of), but he would step in the moment he saw something too out of the usual for his liking.

She was safe for now. She just had to try to survive the rest of the time during the project. Her heart dropped like a stone at the thought. Somehow, she had a gut feeling deep down that it wouldn't be nearly so simple...

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><p><em>Karin~ Wednesday: Second Semester, day 1— 5:53 pm<em>

_Oh lord, and here I go like some thirty-year old spazz freak that lives in their mother's basement, with my little spy-style writing...you know who I'm talking about right? The people with waaay too much free time on their hands that come up with all kinds of ways to amuse themselves, and—huh? _

_I'm rambling...? And I sound like one of those lifeless, spazzy people I mentioned above? ...Well go hold your breath 'til your face turns blue, you little twerp! If this is some dribble written by someone with no life, __then what the hell does that make you when you're the one READING it?__ A loser-loser, double loser, that's what! And I don't CARE if you haven't heard anyone use that insult since first grade, I'm using it NOW and I'm using it to insult YOU!_

_..._

_...Sigh._

_Hmph. Sorry, I guess I just got riled up for a second there. But you know what? If you hadn't pissed me off it wouldn't have been a problem in the first place. You know, I still haven't finished anger management._

_But ahem, that's not what I wanted to talk about. No, I wanted to tell someone about something I heard today. So I decided to write it down here, in my trusty little secret-keeper, my diary. It's possibly the biggest piece of news of the century, not for just anyone's ears. And no, I'm not over- exaggerating, it really is that important (thankyouverymuch). _

_Why is that, you might ask? Well, because it's about the one and only Uchiha Sasuke, of course! Everything about him is absolute perfection, from his hypnotic stare, to his god-like looks, to the way he carries himself..._

_I could get lost in a sweet, melodious daydream just thinking of his intense gaze and piercing onyx eyes. Aaah... I've known Sasuke for a while now. We even hooked up way back at a party some guy named Zaku threw last year. _

_He's not a very important guy; I'm surprised I even remember his name. He's an arrogant little prick that thinks he's some big shit, but all he's good for is talking tough. _

_He's pretty much just a spineless dilweed. But he did provide me with the perfect excuse to finally score a hot night with the guy I'd been scoping out for years. So I guess I should thank him for that. I should, but I'm still not going to. He's beneath me, remember?_

_Anyway...Sasuke is so cool, and of course I idolize and adore him. Along with just about every low-life bimbo in the school. Tch. Dream on skanks, I'm the only one who's going to make him melt with ecstasy in the end. _

_Beware all who dare to cross me: Sasuke. Is. __**Mine**__. _

_And being that we're dating exclusively (ok, so there have been a few minor set-backs but we're getting close!), of course I'd stay up-to-date with all the latest gossip, news, and any bit of information I could dig up about my beloved prince. _

_And you want to know what I found out today? Of course you do, that's why you're reading this, isn't it? Well, Kin, one of the girls in my exclusive mean-chicks posse told me, that she got partnered up with Sasuke for a science project. And you know what I almost did? Wrung her long-haired little neck with my bare hands, that's what!_

_But then I remembered that Kin is a valuable asset when it comes to spyi—keeping up with all Sasuke's latest moves, and she's absolutely no threat whatsoever to my superior beauty, intelligence, and devastating charm, being that she is just a loud-mouthed, stuck-up tomboy after all. _

_I mean don't get me wrong, Kin is one of the closest females that I'd dare to go as far as to call a 'mutually trusted friend'. She would never try to make a move on Sasuke, at least not if she knows what's good for her. _

_We rely on each other for information—she tells me what's going on with Sasuke, since she's oddly enough, in quite a few of his classes this semester (Hmph! I swear all the luck gets wasted on people who don't deserve it!) , and I tell her what her rival, Tayuya, is up to. _

_FYI, Tayuya's another girl that runs with our crowd— namely myself, Kin, Ami and at one point Sasame. Before that back-stabbing junior high bitch crossed over to hang with the goody-goodies. But for some reason I can't fathom, Kin and Tayuya are always at each other's throats, some old rivalry that dates back to Kami only knows when over something trivial, I'm sure, like which ones a bigger dyke. I swear to god neither one of them has like a single feminine bone in their body. Total tomboy trash. Ek! Boyish females are soo gross._

_And while I tolerate Tayuya, I don't necessarily like her—too much mouth for her own good. She just hangs out in our group. She doesn't serve any purpose to me like Kin. The only plus to having her around is that, like Kin, she's also not after Sasuke. _

_And, since I'm already off topic I might as well bring up the last member of our little group and what we stand for. I already mentioned myself and the two other girls, but our last member is Ami, a sophomore. And unlike the other two, Ami _is_ a threat._

_Mostly because she'll screw any guy with a pulse. Hell, she'd probably try to make a pass at a chick if she was desperate enough (there are even rumors to support this). The air-headed bimbo even tried to seduce Juugo and Suigetsu a time or two, and let me tell you, watching it was **disgusting**. Some girls have no class; I mean at least I stick to chasing the same guy. _

_But it's common knowledge that she's perhaps the easiest lay in school, and for some reason guys seem to find her worth doing at least once or twice (god only knows why, or how big of a risk they're taking exposing themselves to mono, herpes, or whatever the hell else she's got). Not to mention she's a total bitch._

_No, seriously. She'd have to be to get into our little club. It's actually a requirement. Our group is composed of the biggest ice bitches in the school, a title we hold quite proudly and would promptly pimp-slap any little slut that thinks she's bold enough to cross us. _

_Together we terrorize all who are beneath us and rule the halls with an iron fist. We are Gekkoukan High's stereotypical, "mean girls", and damn proud of it._

_We used to have a little lackey, you know, that other girl I mentioned earlier, Sasame? We caught her trying to shop lift at a corner store (who does she think she is anyway, that was our shop-lifting spot) and threatened to turn her in if she didn't do exactly what we said._

_Hm...poor little baby crumbled at our feet. At least she was smart enough not to try and stand up to the four of us. But anyway, we made her our personal slave and put her through all kinds of humiliating torment. Watching the little baby trying not to break down and cry in front of us was hilarious! __If I was a person with even a shred of conscience or remorse for the pathetic and weak-hearted I might've felt bad for her story._

_Typical sob story that it was. Orphaned at age three, living with her elderly grandma who was struggling to make ends meet and had suddenly fallen ill, pushed into petty crime and getting in trouble at school as a way of 'lashing out' at the problems she couldn't control, blah, blah, blah... That's when we found her and took her under our welcoming wings... some might call it cruel, but the way I see it, we helped her. _

_Sure we may have beat her senseless a time or two, made her cry way more times than I'm willing to count, and made her our slave, but at least she wasn't prostituting for money she didn't even get to keep like some other misfortunate children who are kidnapped and traded on the black market in countless places around the world, or abducted by some psycho and locked in a basement for life. _

_We looked out for her and taught her how to toughen up. We molded that little carrot top from a lump of worthless clay into a trophy errand girl that even the pickiest mean chick would be delighted to own! So how, you ask, could she ever have the nerve to betray us? _

_Well, I don't know, but one day the little brat walked right up to us, looked us square in the eye, and told us she'd had enough, and that no matter how much we threatened her, or beat her up, or popped bubble gum in her hair so she had to chop most of it off (it was Tayuya's idea, I swear! She couldn't stand the thought of someone with better tangerine hair than her), she wasn't backing down. _

_Now, you might think that it was only a matter of time. With us always tormenting her and pushing her buttons, everyone has their breaking point, and Sasame was bound to reach hers eventually._

_But I know her, know the spineless little brat whimpering and sniffling and pleading with us not to turn her in the day we caught her stealing, and spouting out her whole miserable life story as if anybody really cared._

_She didn't change overnight on her own. She was inspired by someone or something; influenced to defy us. Obviously she encountered something that encouraged her enough to grow a backbone somewhere along the line during our 'mentorship'. _

_Maybe she met someone she admired who stood up to bullies, or maybe she watched somebody's motivational spiel on TV and ordered the boxset. Hell, I don't know and I really could care less. All I know is that we've been out a servant ever since. _

_Sure, we could have tried to keep bullying her, but it's no fun to manipulate someone who's defiant and constantly challenging our orders. It's much easier to choose someone who's simple-minded and spineless, preferably someone with a tendency to want to please people and who might even lack a close circle of friends to rely on. All the more easy pickings for us._

_Which brings me back to my current point of conversation. Sasuke. How does this play into the most perfect of all Kami-sama's creations, you ask? Well, remember that group project Kin has with him? There's another member. A girl, and from what Kin's described her as, she's a Hyuga. One of the richest, most powerful families in the world. _

_They own everything. Everything from hotels, casinos, cooperate office buildings, vacation resorts, five-star restaurants, even their own commercial jet line. And they've been competitors of the Uchiha family for generations. I knew that Neji Hyuga, who's supposed to be a genius and excels at everything goes here. I also know he has a fan club to rival Sasuke's and that, while he is indeed hot, he's got nothing on __my__ precious Sasuke._

_And besides, he hangs out with that dykish TenTen girl and that bushy-browed, mutant freak Rock Lee or whatever his name is...Ugh, talk about a headache. I'd always just assumed he was the heir to the Hyuga family business, but I guess not. I knew another Hyuga goes here, a girl I think. What was her name...Hinaba...Hinka...Hinata? Ah, I think that's it. _

_Last semester she was walking through the hall carrying a tall stack of books and not paying attention to where she was going, just as I was coming around the corner examining my newly manicured nails and scandalously short outfit, which I hoped would be enough to convince Sasuke to end his player ways and settle down with me._

_Well, the little bitch had the nerve to __run into me__ and actually knock me down. Can you believe the nerve? And when I got up to brush myself off (she didn't even bother to try to help me up, she was too busy trying to pick up her stupid books), I scowled down at her as she spewed out endless apologies so rapidly I almost couldn't understand a word she said. _

_I brushed it aside and looked her over. Choppy indigo hair in a boyish bob cut, pale lavender eyes, porcelain doll face with an innocent expression that just made me want to smack her...and a baggy jacket that looked like something you'd find at a charity, used clothing store. Another words, she was far from special. Actually, looking at her was giving me a pretty big eye sore._

_I scrunched my face into one final look of disgust before walking off. It was nearly impossible to believe that, that little slip of girl was from such a prestigious family, let alone that she was the Hyuga's __**heiress**__. If that were the case, she'd be worth billions!_

_But the information Kin gave was hardly ever wrong. She knows it'd be in her best interest to make absolutely sure of something before reporting it to me since I take anything regarding my Sasuke-kun __very__ seriously, and I do __**not**__ like to be misled. _

_If the Hyuga girl in Sasuke-kun's class is indeed the same Hyuga I'm thinking of, then things will be very interesting in the next few weeks... The girl I saw in the hallway looked timid, someone used to going unnoticed, and she was definitely submissive. Sasuke-kun would _**never **_go for her type, so she was no threat. _

_It was safe to just observe her for now. Hm...the thought of having a Hyuga as a personal slave... to make the heiress of one of the most powerful families around bow at my feet. Sasuke-kun couldn't help but be impressed by my powers of manipulation. Now _that_ was truly music to my ears._

* * *

><p>"Thanks again for treating me, Hinata-neesan. I really wish I could pay you back though," a young red-haired girl smiled gratefully to the Hyuga as she bit into a steaming hot bean paste bun.<p>

"I-It's alright, Sasame-chan. Y-you shouldn't worry about it. I-it's my treat, remember?" Hinata shook her hands in front of her, blushing meekly. The little girl beamed up at her admiringly, some of the sticky food substance on her face.

Hinata smiled back and handed her a napkin, which she accepted with gratitude. Hinata had signed up to be part of a mentoring program that helped troubled kids by pairing them up with teenagers who would guide and hopefully inspire them to change their bad habits.

Hiashi had agreed that it would help his daughter improve her poor socializing skills at the very least, though he highly doubted that shy, fumbling Hinata could give anyone inspiration.

Hinata had been assigned a girl named Sasame Fuma, tutoring her to help her make up for all the work she'd missed when she'd skipped school, and doing things that would keep her from straying into trouble again, like taking her to a local park to sit and eat bean paste buns together.

As a result, Sasame's grades had since improved, and she had even been elected to be her class's representative. Hinata was extremely proud of the girl for doing a complete turnaround, in such a short time, and felt that if anything, she was the one inspired to change, after seeing all the redhead's hard work.

She could still remember when they'd met not too long ago. Sasame, a cynical girl with lopsided red hair cut squarely across her forehead and a cropped ponytail on top of her head, a bitter, self-deprecating scowl, and a defiant spark to her cocoa brown eyes, had taken one look at the Hyuga's gentle smiling face, pulled her beanie cap lower over her head self-consciously, and declared that Hinata was wasting her time trying to help her.

When Hinata had asked why she thought this, she had merely responded that it was just a fact she'd come to terms with, and that people who tried to interfere would only be hurt by her in the end. But despite the girl's lack of faith, Hinata seemed determined to prove her wrong.

Every day they would meet at the local library, and Hinata would offer to take her out for a snack afterwards, reasoning she must be hungry after all her hard studying. Slowly, a bond formed as she watched Sasame emerge from her shell little by little each day. Now, Sasame was outspoken and confident, firm in her sense of justice and beliefs.

They still met at the library for study lessons, though not as frequently, since Sasame's grades had improved, and like before, they always went out for an afternoon snack afterwards.

As they sat eating, they'd often talk about anything that came to mind—school, friends, hobbies, life in general. Today was no different, with Sasame sitting on the bench beside her munching her snack and swinging her legs as she chatted away animatedly while Hinata listened attentively.

"You know something Hinata-neechan? You're really pretty and smart and nice. I don't get how you can't have a boyfriend yet," Sasame suddenly blurted out, not noticing Hinata's face go instantly red.

"I mean, if I were a guy, I'd definitely date you. And I know there must be lots of boys who feel the same way." She continued, tapping her chin in thought.

Hinata's mouth gaped open like a fish struggling for oxygen, "N-n-no, Sasame-chan! T-that's very nice of you, but...I know t-that no one has any interest in me..." she whispered dejectedly, her head falling down.

The carrot top scrunched her face in confusion, not believing what she was hearing. "Eh? What are you saying? How do you know no one likes you—have they _told_ you that?" her eyes narrowed surreptitiously, her voice demanding to know who dared tell her mentor and role model such things.

"W-well, no, demo—" Hinata began.

"Then there you have it!" Sasame clapped her hands together satisfactorily, having finished her bun. She brushed the crumbs from her clothes and wiped her mouth neatly with a smugly satisfied grin stretching her face.

"You just admitted that there's nothing to prove your theory correct, therefore it must be wrong!" the girl declared triumphantly. "You just need to have a little more confidence in yourself. You know, like you're always telling me?"

Here the young redhead gave Hinata a teasing look. Hinata smiled back sheepishly. "Y-yes, m-maybe you're right; a-arigato, Sasame-chan."

"No problem," the girl waved her off with a wide grin. "Now..." she began, glancing at Hinata's half-eaten bun. "Are you gonna finish that?"

* * *

><p>"Suigetsu!" the redheaded girl screeched, "Suigetsu, are you even listening to me?" she pushed her glasses further up on the bridge of her nose and placed both hands on her hips.<p>

"No." he stated flatly, watching the timid girl conversing with an outspoken blond from across the room. Normally, History class was just plain boring for him.

The lectures put him to sleep; the people they were learning about were all long dead and, until recently, there just hadn't been anything interesting enough to keep his attention. That is...at least until the new student transferred into their class.

The teacher had introduced her as Hinata Hyuga, a second-year who'd gotten switched to their class after apparently passing a test last semester with the highest scores in three years. Her brains were impressive, but to be honest that wasn't what he was interested in.

Her perfect hourglass figure, innocent face, and long, sweeping indigo-hair had been what caught his attention the minute she walked into the room. Without even looking around, he could tell the majority of the males in the class felt the same, all eying the new girl with obvious lust.

Karin had been trying to talk to him for the last ten minutes and he hadn't heard a word of it. He smirked to himself. Obviously all the attention the girl was getting was making her quite upset, all the more reason to push her buttons.

They were all supposed to be doing group projects and finding a period of history they wanted to discuss. The teacher had allowed them to pick their own partners because he was too lazy to assign partners, and the class was in total chaos.

The minute the words had left his mouth, the boys had all scrambled over to Hinata's desk, shoving and shouting over one another to try and persuade her to join their group. The Hyuga for her part looked quite flustered, and even from afar it was easy to see she was overwhelmed.

"Hmph..." Karin narrowed her eyes and scowled as she crossed her arms and leaned back against Suigetsu's desk. "Look at her, soaking it up. What a little tramp, she's trying to act all cute and innocent to get all the boys to like her."

Suigetsu smirked, seeing Karin's obvious scathing glare. "Jealous, are we? And anyway, you're the one that's always dressing like a slut and hanging all over Sasuke like a bitch in heat. She can't help it if she's got the natural looks of a goddess and the innocence of a virgin."

"Shut up, you fish-faced freak! You're a filthy pervert." The red-haired girl leered. Juugo simply sighed, shaking his head quietly as he watched his two companions bicker. Even if this was an everyday thing for them, it didn't make it any easier to tolerate.

"Maybe we should intervene. She does look like she's about to have a nervous break-down." the giant, orange-haired boy suggested.

"What?" Karin asked incredulously, whirling around to face him. "No way! We already have enough members in our group! And why do we need some pathetic little know-it-all anyway. Just because she got put in this class doesn't make her a genius. She just got lucky." Karin continued to defend her point, but Suigetsu had already jumped up and was strolling over to Hinata's desk, easily shoving his way through the crowd until he stood right in front of her desk.

Hinata peered up at him shyly through her neatly trimmed bangs as he grinned down at her slyly. "Hey there, babe. Wanna come work with us? I promise we don't bite...for the most part." He winked, watching in amusement as her entire face lit up like a Christmas tree bulb.

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, he had grabbed her wrist and dragged her up, pulling her through the crowd and back toward their spot on the other side of the room where Karin and Juugo were waiting, slightly surprised— and in Karin's case, a little miffed— that he'd actually managed to snag the girl. The other boys glared heatedly in Suigetsu's direction before going off to their seats and mumbling about the loss to themselves.

Hinata stood trembling and fidgeting nervously with her fingers as Suigetsu slung an arm around her shoulder with a smug grin aimed in the glaring redhead's direction. "So," Karin sniffed, her nose pointed upward as she eyed the timid Hyuga from the bottom of her glasses. "You're the new transfer, huh? I heard you made it in with some pretty high scores."

Hinata blushed sheepishly, not knowing until now that her move to an upper class was so well known. Though news did spread fast, so she supposed it made sense. "Uh, y-yes..." she mumbled, trying to maintain eye contact with the daunting red-haired girl.

"Well, just so you know, _I'm_ Karin, and I'm in charge around here. That's Suigetsu," she motioned to the boy with his arm still slung around the Hyuga's shoulders, "and Juugo." the tall boy merely nodded politely.

"Oh, i-it's very nice to meet you all." Hinata bowed as best she could with Suigetsu's arm still around her.

"Yeah babe, I definitely agree. How 'bout you and me take a little time to get to know each other better after class?" Suigetsu grinned eagerly, lifting his eyebrows suggestively. "Maybe we could even swing by my place and—" the grinning boy was clonked upside the head, much to Hinata's surprise, courtesy of a certain young Uchiha, who now hovered over him, glaring down harshly.

"Hey, what the hell was that fo—"

"Suigetsu." he froze, hearing the harsh tone that could belong to only one person he knew of.

"Sasuke-kun!" Karin squealed, immediately latching herself on to the raven-haired boy's arm. Hinata watched from the background as the Uchiha seemed to appear from thin air, his aura casting a powerful shadow on the group.

The dark-haired leader of the little group cast them all stony looks before his gaze finally rested on the wide-eyed Hyuga. He smirked, easily shaking out of Karin's vice-grip and sauntering over to Hinata.

She shivered involuntarily as she looked at the floor, feeling as if a figure was approaching her but too nervous to look up. Until a firm hand on her chin forced her to tilt her gaze forward...and straight into the eyes of one smirking Uchiha Sasuke. Any girl's fantasy, Hinata's worst nightmare.

"Hyuga, I didn't know you were in this class." He stated, his warm breath fanning her face as a scarlet blush spread over her face and neck.

"Um...I-I just transferred t-t-today..." she barely managed to squeak out.

Karin glared at the exchange, watching her precious prince interact with the lowly little Hyuga girl. In her mind Hinata was quickly becoming a definite threat. One that needed to be taken care of immediately.

She stalked toward them situating herself between Hinata and the Uchiha of her desires. "Hey, quit hitting on Sasuke-kun," she growled, her teeth bared in a frightening snarl. Sasuke merely shot her a look from the corner of his eye, Hinata quaking helplessly from the background.

"Karin, why don't you go practice your petty scare tactics somewhere else, you're making yourself a nuisance." he stated flatly. The redhead gaped, the frizzy side of her hair seemed to poke out like a porcupine's quills at his blunt words.

"B-But Sasuke-kun!" she spluttered, pasting on a sweet smile.

"Go, Karin." He intoned, leaving no room for argument. With a final huff, she stormed off, but not before shooting the Hyuga one last death glare in warning.

* * *

><p>"Suigetsu, you idiot!" Karin yelled, delivering a harsh bonk to the boy's head. The two were now alone in the classroom, Karin having pulled Suigetsu back to stay behind after class ended.<p>

"What the hell Karin?" he hissed, rubbing his now twice bruised noggin with the back of his hand. "Why'd you make me stay, the lunch room's gonna be crowded as hell if I don't hurry up and get a seat."

"It's all _your_ fault! You dragged her over to our group! Did you see the way she was all over Sasuke-kun—the little slut," she said menacingly.

Suigetsu raised an eyebrow in question before replying boredly, "You don't mean that smokin' hot chick, Hina-babe, do you? And for the record, Sasuke was all over her. Not that I can blame him..." he mumbled under his breath, a lewd grin spreading across his face as he began to have *ahem* inappropriate daydreams about the busty Hyuga heiress.

"Shut up!" Karin snarled back, teeth clenched. "Sasuke-kun would never stoop so low as to go after that...that...little _goody-goody_."

"Why not?" Suigetsu shrugged, "Sasuke's the type of guy to try every type at least once, right? I mean, he plugged _you_ before, didn't he?"

Karin attempted to slap Suigetsu in utter rage, only for him to dodge smoothly, a cocky smirk spread across his handsome face. "Heh...too bad, so sad. Your aim sucks. Probably why Sasuke got tired of you so quick. You had to be his quickest hook-up ever." Suigetsu continued to goad, enjoying watching as Karin's face turned a color dark enough to rival her unruly hair.

"Suigetsu, I swear I'll murder you in your sleep one of these days." Karin continued to stuff the rest of her things into her bag, failing to notice one book she'd left out, sitting precariously on the edge of a shelf just above Suigetsu's head. She'd been writing it before class had started and quickly shoved it up high, so no one could see the minute class started.

"Anyway, that girl's getting in the way of my plans with Sasuke, so I need you to do me a favor and take care of her." She told, or more like demanded him.

"And why would I do anything for a slut like you?"

"Because," Karin gritted her teeth as she tried to ignore his insult, "You'll get something out of it too. The Hyuga heiress will be yours to toy with or whatever." She waved a hand dismissively, and the boy seemed to ponder over her proposal.

Finally, grinning, he replied, "I'm in, but don't think it's because of you. I just want to be the first to get a taste of that sweet, sweet virgin babe."

"Ugh..." Karin cringed in disgust. "I swear you are so beyond pedophilic. But whatever, meet me after school and we'll talk." she said, picking up her back and walking out of the room.

Suigetsu watched her go with a roll of his eyes, crossing his arms and leaning back against a nearby shelf. It shook slightly at his weight, and before he knew it, something had fell down and clocked him square on the head, causing him to jump.

_Suigetsu's POV_

"What the he—" I looked down at the book that had just hit me in the head with curiosity and confusion, rubbing the sore spot at the back of my head as I bent down to pick it up. Some people might say I'm an idiotic pervert that's never read a book a day in my life, and they probably wouldn't be entirely wrong.

I don't like reading books, and I usually just copy off Karin or bribe her with some random crap about Sasuke whenever I need to do a writing essay. I am a fan of the ingenious Make-Out series though, a book I'll never get bored of, so call it whatever you want.

But believe it or not, I actually do have a reason for avoiding most forms of reading material. It may or may not make sense to everybody and that's fine with me. You know how they always say reading is knowledge and knowledge is power and shizz like that?

Well I say books are dangerous. And this just proves it! That hard-covered thing that just clobbered me in the head hurt like hell! I'll bet it'll leave a knot by tomorrow. Hey, what is this thing anyway? I studied the cover, it was a thicker-than-average black marble notebook, nothing special, well except maybe for all the stickers and labels sprawled across the front and the colorful sticky notes poking out everywhere. Meh, probably just somebody's notes or something...

I shrugged, about to toss it somewhere, when something caught my eye. There was a bright yellow label going diagonally across the front that read:

_Property of Karin—Strictly Confidential!_

_Read this and you WILL be punished! _

_Trespassers Beware._

Yep, I noted, raising an eyebrow and grinning in amusement. The neat, secretary hand-writing and borderline-schizoid message most _definitel_y mean it was Karin's. And it sounded like she really didn't want anybody looking through it so...it must mean there's something she'd trying to hide.

Heh. I bet there's some awesome blackmail that'll have her wrapped around my little finger for months. Like how many guys with girlfriends she's screwed in the past week in a half or so. I started grinning like a maniac just imagining all the juicy secrets I could probably dig up.

I skimmed through pages, glancing at the neatly organized and conveniently dated notes she'd left, looking for anything interesting or just plain blackmail-worthy, until I finally stopped on today's date. Hmm...let's see what she's got to say about the little hallway fiasco.

Haha...she's so vain I'd bet she found a way to cover it up like she _didn't_ get flat-out rejected like the sorry whore she is right out in the hall with everyone watching. Can you say _denial_? If you looked it up in the dictionary it'd probably say something like...

**Denial (noun)**

_**Refusal to acknowledge something**_

_i.e. Karin is in denial about being an obsessive, clingy stalker that's constantly getting off on a tape-recording she has of Sasuke's voice when she thinks no one's around._

_**Opposition to allegation**_

_i.e. Karin denies ever having stalked Sasuke, or trying to catch him changing in the locker room._

_**Refusal to face unpleasant facts**_

_**i.e. Karin's current and permanent mindset when faced with the fact that Sasuke—"the man of her dreams"(pssh! whatever...)— absolutely detests her.**_

I laughed to myself as I thought of all the other phrases that'd probably be appropriate in describing Karin's total obsession, still thumbing through pages when—hey, I think I just saw my name in there somewhere!

Quickly flipping backwards until I found the right page again, I read the second to last entry, marked with yesterday's date, and continued to read through the entire thing, my eyes widening in surprise at some parts and smirking at others.

Ah-ha! So _that_ was Karin's little plan, eh? It figures she'd come up with something as sadistic and conceited as that.

Too bad she doesn't know I've got my own agenda and I don't feel like complying just so she can get what she wants. She already said she'd let me have the Hyuga girl after it was all said and done, but I wanted more.

I wanted to humiliate Karin into listening to my every whim, bend her to submission and watch her suffer in bitter misery. It was high time I paid her back for all the times she'd used or made me suffer in the past.

Like when she made me go out on a date with that uber-slut bitch Ami just to keep me quiet about what she did behind said slut's back with her then boyfriend.

Drunk as hell or not, it was still funny to watch Karin shag with some guy she didn't even know at Ami's house party last year, and the best part about it was, I managed to get it all on video!

Too bad Karin doesn't have any clue, but I'm waiting to use that particular blackmail against her later. Ha! Wait 'til _that_ comes back to bite her in the ass!

Now I have something even better to go along with it. Man, if only she knew the surprises I had in store for her. I grinned wickedly an tucked the little book of secrets away with my things before sauntering out of class with an even more confident swagger than ever.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, how was this chapter. The plot is slowly growing more interesting I think. A lot more than Karin, Suigetsu and Juugo than I'd originally planned for. I hope Karin's POV wasn't too hard to follow. At first it was solely meant as a form of entertainment, you know, like a laugh at Karin's extremely delusional expense. But then I thought hey, why not give readers some insight into what goes on in Hinata's school through another character's standpoint.<strong>

**So Karin being the hypocritical ice bitch that she is, proceeded to give dirt and trash talk her so-called friends. I hoped that by showing you the kind of senseless hatred these girls' jealous minds are prone to, I would kind of foreshadow the kind of trouble that could be coming Hinata's way soon. **

**But don't worry, she'll get through it in the end (and probably be a whole lot tougher as a result). I mean she is the heroine after all, right? She has to come out on top or else there'd be no point to even writing this. **

**That being said don't expect Hinata's ordeal to be in any way easy. These girls are merciless, and four major bullies coming together to scheme can spell nothing but trouble for our unsuspecting shy little heroine. I also don't know where adding Sasame in came from. I haven't even seen the episodes she's appeared in yet. Yeah, I know, I'm waaay behind there, but I was too busy watching core episodes and keeping up with Shippuuden to watch every single filler right away. So I'm currently going back and doing that now.**

**Oh, Suigetsu's POV was also fun to write, especially how he comically corrects and mocks Karin's illusionary fantasies involving Sasuke. XD**


	5. Devil's Intent

**Hi guys; I'm finally back. My computer was busted and it took me forever to get it fixed! Now that I got it back, I'm hoping I'll be able to update more…but I also have college, so please be patient if it takes me a while to get caught up. I found it interesting how many of you liked the hints of a possible side-pairing of HinataxSuigetsu. **

**Honestly, his interest in her is only lust-driven at this point, and I hadn't really planned to include him as a serious romantic factor in the story but, if that's what readers are into, then I guess I'll see what I can do. It's still mainly a SasuxHina though. There'll just be...more interactions between Hinata and some of the other male characters. But anyway... let's see what drama will unfold**** this time! **

**I'd also like to dedicate this chapter to a very special reviewer—Dawnheart98. Thanks so much for the support~ you rock!**

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><p>"<em>A gentleman is simply a patient wolf." – Lana Turner<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Ch.5<strong>- Devil's Intent

There were very few things the Uchiha heartthrob would ever admit to being daunted by, or even wary of, since he usually tended to approach things with a reckless sort of classic devil-may-care attitude.

A trait his father had always strongly scolded him for since childhood, and that often made his mother secretly wonder if maybe there was something she'd failed at as a parent.

What he wanted he got, and when there was a rule that would hinder most from attaining what they desired, he smoothly walked over it; such was the privilege of being an Uchiha and the teenage sex god of Gekkoukan High.

But despite his reputation as the school's presiding punk and inadvertent golden boy, there was one thing that could still make Uchiha Sasuke's skin crawl at any given time of the day. And that was the thought of Biochemistry.

It wasn't the subject itself that set his senses to high alert; slacker and school miscreant or not, he still held the title of genius for a reason. It was the _thing_ that lurked in class, leering at him with serpentine golden eyes from the shadows. The creeper he was forced to call 'sensei'—Orochimaru.

Honestly, Sasuke didn't care how many credentials the man supposedly had, or what medical breakthroughs he might have made studying chemically-enhanced 'super-drugs' or whatever at the Hidden Leaf Institute of Science, one of the country's top political colleges and scientific research centers, before coming to teach at a fairly prestigious local high school. The man was the embodiment of evil, plain and simple.

And he radiated such a chilling aura that it was enough to shake even the most impenetrable of hardened criminals to their very core. Sasuke himself always felt unraveled since the first moment he laid eyes on the man, and there were times where, he was mentally petrified. Though aside from the occasional eye twitch, or invisible cringe, no one would ever know it.

So he tried to think only of his intended target, the delicate-featured Hyuga beauty that'd recently captured his attention, as he nonchalantly strolled into class—fifteen minutes late, of course—after finishing his smoke break in the boy's locker room.

He slid into his usual spot beside the blond-haired moron he regrettably called a 'best friend' and ignored the sounds of general swooning from the class's female population as well as the loud, uninhibited rants of the obnoxious, obviously brain-dead Uzumaki that beat down upon his unprotected ear.

You'd think they'd all be used to him showing up in such a fashion by now, always late and in such a manner of unperturbed swagger, that it really wouldn't be such a big deal. But, unfortunately for the cold-blooded Uchiha, they insisted on making a spectacle of it each and every day.

And so as he let his eyes flicker to the hunched form of the indigo-haired girl across the room—nervously trying to avoid drawing any extra attention to herself than necessary—he was more than willing to let his mind drift from thoughts of overbearing admirers and the pressure his father continued to exert on him in an attempt to get him to 'straighten up' and assume responsibility by taking an active interest in the family business.

Instead, he thought of ways to gain her trust, win her over, make her forget she ever even saw that idiotic dobe. The fact that she was seemingly infatuated with his oblivious best friend was like a constant prickling under his skin that he just couldn't ignore, an unreachable itch that badly needed scratching.

He knew he wouldn't be able to feel completely satisfied until he had the school's wallflower wrapped completely around his finger. But he realized that to get to a girl as naïve and timid as Hinata, a different tactic than usual was in order. This was where the _true _fun began.

He sat, blocking out the creepy science teacher's lecture, waiting impatiently for the time when they'd reform their groups to begin. A half hour of utter boredom was finally rewarded when their snakish sensei drawled in a low hiss that they could begin working on their projects.

Sasuke's eyes impassively scanned the room for signs of the petite indigo-haired girl lost in a sea of clambering students with practiced disinterest. Slowly, she made her way through the throng of their peers, obviously trying to avoid bumping into anyone or getting in someone's way, and uttering a quiet apology when she couldn't avoid doing so.

He noticed the way she walked with her neatly trimmed bangs shadowing her face and her eyes expertly trained on the ground in front of her, casting nervous glances upward only when she detected a nearby obstacle.

He could tell she was not only naturally submissive but all but painfully self-conscious, and not used to being in the spotlight. It was no surprise really; he'd heard the Hyuga clan was very strict about the methods they used to properly educate and train their heirs, almost more so than his own family.

And if her father was anything like his...he could imagine the hell she must have to endure at home. A gentle, passive soul like hers was likely to be ostracized quite strongly by a family that valued dignity, stature, and unyielding mental strength above all else. Yet, he wondered if, given the right redirection, the shy-hearted heiress could be molded into something fiercer...

* * *

><p>Suigetsu eyed the girl with the half-straightened hair and a complexion that was currently just as fiery red in color with a look that could only be described as 'reproachfully cautious'.<p>

He knew that look—it was the look of a dragon ready to spit flames that could engulf anything within a ten-mile radius. A look of pure, unbridled fury. And it was a look currently aimed at him.

Sadly, this was not the first time he had been on the receiving end of such a menacing leer from the fearsome beast, but it _was_ the first time he had seen her give anyone that ferocious a glare in a long time.

Yes, he loved to push the uppity redhead's buttons (and one might almost say he lived for it), but having been around her for so long now, he had learned when to taunt the monster and when to skirt away just in time to avoid getting burned.

Now, as she stalked towards him, one hand on her hip, and the shiny red heels clacking oh-so-threateningly on the speckled tile of the hall, he felt apprehension swelling in his chest.

But he wasn't afraid or ready to duck for cover into the nearest trashcan like some of the more timid students were doing as they watched the scene play out before them. He was anxious, but with mischievous excitement.

She was like the bloodthirsty beast charging the unlikely hero who, you couldn't help but feel didn't have a chance of triumphing but couldn't help but secretly root for anyway. But wait—was that...a _grin_ on the soon-to-be-dead man's face?

Indeed, Suigetsu looked quite smug as he waited for the redhead to approach, hands behind his back in a care-free posture. He was the perfect portrait of tranquility. And, as those students who weren't fast enough to avoid Karin's blazing wrath were shoved aside back into the rows of lockers with a flick of her razor-sharp, French-tipped nails— deadly weapons in their own right—Suigetsu stood firm, confidence radiating from him in waves.

"_You_," she hissed, baring her teeth in a frightening snarl as she grabbed a fistful of the grinning idiot's shirt and jerked harshly.

"What's wrong Karin? Bad hair day, another mirror break on you? ...Nah, I guess that wouldn't really bother you by now since it's an everyday thing." he grinned cheekily.

She didn't know why he looked so full-of-himself (more so than usual), but there'd be nothing to smile about before long...

He wouldn't be able to even if he wanted to; she was going to make sure of it by punching every last abnormally sharp tooth down his throat in the hopes that he'd choke. If she didn't personally squeeze the life out of him first. It didn't matter, really. She had _plenty _of ways to make him suffer.

She made sure they were so close he could clearly see the way her eyes burned with anger and the steam practically spouting from her ears. "Where. Is. It?" she growled lowly so only he could here.

"Heh. Did you finally lose it or what? I don't know what you're talking about, hag."

"You know damn well _what I'm talking about_, Suigetsu! My notebook. Where's the notebook I left in class yesterday? I already went back to check and it wasn't there, and you were the only one that could've taken it. So hand it over, you little germ, before I personally erase your disgusting face from existence." She shook him violently and he flopped about like a rag doll.

Still, as he took the abuse, he stood there grinning like a madman—and with very good reason. Little did Karin know that he'd be the one calling the shots from now on.

And as long as he had leverage over her, the kind of leverage he knew could absolutely bring her to her knees, there wasn't a thing she could do to hurt him. Revenge was a bitch, and he was going to make it the biggest bitch of her whole life.

Slowly, he retracted a hand from behind his back, bringing with it a familiar object that made Karin's dark crimson eyes light up in absolute tension. "You bastard, hand it over!" she squealed, making a grab for it, only for him to snatch it away again, holding it high above his head, out of her reach.

Even with her heels, which added at least an extra three inches to her usual near Amazonian height, she still only _just_ passed him by an inch. And he was quick, managing to maneuver the whole time so the book was tortuously out of her reach, but only by the width of a fingertip.

Finally, moving back and panting in frustration, she stomped her pointy-toed stiletto, half-screaming, half-whining in a way that made her sound like a very angry monkey that'd just been deprived of its bananas.

She was just about to tackle the annoying, white-haired prick for her most prized possession, when a familiar baritone that made her quiver in ecstasy sounded from behind them, making both lackeys lurch to a halt. "Suigetsu, Karin, isn't it a little early to be acting so childishly?" the voice grunted in irritation.

Suigetsu managed a half-nervous smile while Karin swooned with hearts in her eyes after shooting the sharp-toothed boy a murderous glare that clearly stated they'd resolve the issue later.

"_Sasuke-kun~_!" she crooned, quickly clacking over to him and latching onto his arm possessively.

Had he been the type to show PDA— that was, public displays of annoyance— the younger Uchiha would've rolled his eyes, but he simply held back a sigh of irritation as he allowed the red-haired female to continue latching onto him, for the moment. Anything that would keep her preoccupied while he tried to gather his thoughts.

He had only come down this hallway because he thought he'd remembered the dobe saying something about the Hyuga having her locker on this hall, and of course he would have to come across his two lackeys doing... well, who the hell really _knows_ what and causing him _another_ headache.

Even for stooges, they were probably the most idiotic group of cronies he could have found. Useful from time to time, but mostly just mindless and an annoyance within itself.

It made him seriously consider why he had even bothered with them in the first place. Hell, even Naruto had more sense than all three combined, and _that _was saying something.

Well, mostly it was just Karin and Suigetsu, but he was too damn irritated to get all technical about it. So for now there was someone who even the dobe bested in intelligence.

...The hell was the world coming to anyway?

"Karin, get off me. Suigetsu stop fooling around. I have something I need you to do." The two blinked slowly before glancing at each other disdainfully, then back at the Uchiha. They stared deliberately at their leader as a somewhat cynical look overtook his usually impassive face.

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><p>Hinata watched as her cousin sprinted down the field, his legs pumping gracefully as he took the ball from his opponent and began kicking it, past the other team's two best defensive players, and the offenses' opening.<p>

He made a flawless pass to one of his teammates, a boy with shiny black hair in a bowl cut wearing a green headband. She watched as the boy was able to dart around the other players with almost blinding speed.

The other team collapsed in exhausted heaps across the field as he ran past them and power-kicked the ball into their goal.

"Yosh!" he rejoiced. "The handsome green beast of Gekkoukan high has made another excellent play! Did you see me, Gai-sensei?!" he turned to their mentor with shimmering eyes, the man flashing him a winning smile and giving a thumbs up.

"Greeeat teamwork, Lee! With you and Neji as our star players, we're sure to make it to the regional championships for sure!" Hinata watched, slightly dazed, as Gai-sensei clenched his fists tightly and a blazing inferno appeared behind him as if by magic.

Neji rolled his eyes as his coach and teammate had another one of their _special moments_ before joining her on the bleachers. She'd decided to come watch him practice today. She smiled at him brightly and handed him a small towel from his sport's bag. He gave her a grateful look as he accepted it and began to wipe his sweating face.

A small flock of fan girls, that had also snuck in to watch, swooned as they saw their beloved prince resting in all his shiny, sweating glory. They fanned themselves furiously and one fainted with a squeal when he slipped his jersey over his head. Hinata blushed, but looked away modestly to give her cousin a little privacy.

"Ano…y-you were great nii-sama. I… never knew you were so fast…" she said shyly, glancing up at his face briefly before looking down again.

"Thank you, Hinata-sama. I appreciate you waiting on me today. I know with all my after school activities, it must be dull for you to wait for me at times."

She shook her head quickly, "N-No, not at all! In fact I…really enjoy watching you play sports. Your movements are so graceful…a-and beautiful." She mumbled with a rather faraway look.

She wished she could move as beautifully as her nii-san. Watching his muscles flex as he perfectly controlled every move his body made was art itself to her.

Her adoration of him was completely innocent, however. She didn't stare at his toned abdomen and well-defined chest with lust like the other girls watching him. She simply wished she could be more like him.

Neji turned his head and willed the small amount of pink color on his face to go away. Her innocent words had sparked a less than innocent reaction from him as he watched the wind gently lift her long hair from the corner of his eyes.

He felt the need to hold her, and his hands twitched lightly with the urge. She was an angel in his eyes. His angel.

But deep in his mind he knew that she would forever be out of reach. He would have to settle for being her bodyguard and servant.

_'Hinata-sama…' _As he tried to collect his thoughts, Gai blew the whistle that signaled their break was over, and Neji slowly rose from his spot.

Hinata gave him an encouraging smile as he looked at her from over his shoulder. "It shouldn't be too much longer. Wait for me." he told her firmly. Hinata only smiled, unaware of the possible double meaning.

She watched the team do a few more drills, and then pair off for teamwork exercises. She let her thoughts drift to her current dilemma. The cryptic warning Sakura had given her still played through her mind.

What did it mean? She knew Sasuke was adored by many girls at their school; he might as well have been a pop idol, he had so many fans.

Hinata knew some girls probably envied her for being in his group in class, but would they really go as far as to target her?

A chill ran down her spine as she thought of the malicious look the redheaded upperclassmen girl Karin had given her earlier. Maybe this _was_ more than she could handle. Maybe she should tell someone who could help her.

She saw her cousin on the field, his teammates circling around him and patting him on the back for a job well done. Apparently, he'd just scored a goal again.

Neji would help her, she knew, but…could she really involve him in her personal problems when he was already so busy? She shook her head. No, it wouldn't be right. It was enough he had to live with a burden like her all the time. He seemed content at school and she couldn't take that away.

"What's making that pretty face of yours frown so much?" she jumped at the sudden voice whispering in her ear. Hinata whirled around to see none other than her acquaintance from her advanced history course.

"S-Suigetsu-san!" she stuttered. "Y-you surprised me…" she looked away with a light flush on her cheeks, her hand clenched her shirt right where her heart was.

Suigetsu couldn't help but stare at her ample chest. When she grabbed her shirt like that… He shook his head, and quickly wiped the spot of drool from the corner of his lips. He had to stay focused.

"Heh. Sorry, I just saw you sittin' here alone, so I figured I'd come and keep you company. That's cool, right?" he tried his best to seem embarrassed as he grinned toothily.

Hinata stared at him curiously before smiling. "O-of course!"

His strangely sharp teeth glinted as he slid down from the row above her to sit on her left side. "So," he casually placed his arms behind his head. "You got any plans for this weekend?"

Hinata blinked in surprise, slowly shaking her head. Suigetsu leaned over, close to her face. "Really? Then…you wanna hang out? Uh, not as a date or anything. Just as friends, you know? Me and some of my buddies are gonna go to the amusement park and I just thought you might like to come."

Hinata thought about it. The last time she went to the amusement park was in middle school on a class trip. She didn't remember much, except that Kiba had dragged her onto a giant rollercoaster with a huge drop, and she'd fainted before the end of the ride.

She wondered if she would be ok to go again. She didn't want to be rude and turn Suigetsu down. But she didn't know if her father would allow her to go, and if he did, she didn't want to embarrass herself like last time. She hesitantly looked at his eager face, nodding meekly. "O-ok…I'll ask my f-father if it's alright."

"Does that mean it's a yes?" he asked excitedly.

Hinata couldn't help but giggle. Suigetsu-san was very funny, "M-maybe."

When they went home later, Neji couldn't help but notice that Hinata seemed like she was thinking of something. "Something wrong?" he questioned.

"H-huh?" Instantly her attention was on him, and she blushed brightly. "N-no…I…was just thinking about this weekend." A small smile lit up her flawless face.

He raised an eyebrow. "Is there something important coming up?"

She twiddled with her fingers. How could she tell her overprotective cousin that she'd been invited to the park by a boy…a junior boy no less. Did Neji even know Suigetsu? Would he approve? If her father didn't object, her cousin probably would.

"I was just thinking of going to the amusement park…" she replied quietly. "w-with some f-friends from class."

"…Friends…? Kiba and Shino I presume?" He had no problem if she was going out with those two. Kiba may have been a closet pervert and an idiot, but Neji knew he would never intentionally hurt Hinata.

Shino was quiet, but he was also very reliable. They would be sure to look out for his cousin. She surprised him, however, by silently shaking her head. "T-they're from my advanced history class…um, S-Suigetsu-san and his…friends."

Instantly, Neji was on high alert. He knew all about that Suigetsu boy who was always hanging around the Uchiha and causing trouble. His answer came immediately. "Absolutely not."

Hinata stared at her cousin in surprise. It wasn't that she hadn't expected this, but the look in his eyes…screamed murder. "B-but n-niisan…w-why?"

"That boy is always in and out of trouble. I don't want you anywhere near any of them, understood?"

Hinata slowly nodded. She was actually feeling more disappointed than she thought she would. There was no point in even asking her father. She had a feeling she was bound to hear the same thing from him once Neji explained who they were.

Hinata sulked slightly at school the next day. In her mind, a tiny part of her wished she could have been more rebellious and stood up to her family for the right to make her own decisions.

But deep down, she knew Neji was only so protective in the first place because he cared, and she couldn't find it in herself to be angry at him for that.

When class ended, she gathered her books and prepared to meet up with Shino and Kiba at Shino's locker before their next class. But she was surprised when she stepped outside the door to see a very excited looking Suigetsu waiting for her.

Instantly, she felt guilt stab her in the chest, as she thought of the nicest possible way to decline his offer.

But before she could say anything, they were instantly joined by his small group of friends. The tall orange-haired boy she recalled as Juugo, the bossy-looking redhead named Karin, and…the heartthrob of Gekkou himself, Uchiha Sasuke.

From up close, it was easy to see why all the girls found him so irresistible, and Hinata found herself diverting her attention to her shoes. She liked Naruto of course, but there was no denying the Uchiha heir was attractive.

"Hey Hinata-chan, just thought you might wanna hang with us before your next class." Suigetsu flashed her, his usual toothy grin, but with her head down she didn't really see it.

Hinata smiled slightly, about to reply, when suddenly her cousin's words rang out in her head. '_That boy is always in and out of trouble. I don't want you anywhere near any of them, understood?_'

That's right, Neji even forbid her from hanging out with them…but how could she avoid them when they were in the same class now? They were bound to see more of each other, and things were bound to get awkward if she just made up excuses every time she saw them, or outright ignored them. She was sure they would catch on eventually.

"W-well I…" Suigetsu furrowed his brow in confusion. Hinata began to feel sweat trickle down the side of her face as she stumbled over her words.

Karin clicked her tongue impatiently. "If you don't want to, just spit it out. We actually have somewhere _better_ to be, anyway. C'mon, Sasuke-kun." She attempted to pull the boy by the arm, away from the obvious threat that was Hinata, but this time he wasn't budging.

"Hyuga, you're going to the amusement park with us tomorrow, right? Meet up with Suigetsu after class and he'll show you were to find us." The Uchiha then made his entrance, the others following. Suigetsu gave her one last wink, and Karin shot her a glare from over her shoulder.

Hinata gulped. She'd failed to tell them the truth…_now_ how was she going to get out of this?

Sasuke smirked as they rounded the corner. There was no way she could refuse. She didn't have the backbone to say no to him. He was used to girls turning into quivering puddles whenever he came around, but it was different with Hinata.

She didn't like him like that at all. In fact, he was fairly sure that before the past week, she didn't really pay him any attention. He loved being able to dominate her thoughts with his mere presence. He could already see that while she may not have been attracted to him, she still felt obligated to comply with his commands.

"Hey Sasuke, you really think she'll show?" Suigetsu suddenly asked. "I mean, she's not really the type of girl to hang around with punks like us."

Karin rolled her eyes. "She'd have to be a complete and total stuck-up brat to refuse Sasuke-kun's offer, or a lesbian. Really, with the way she used to dress, it wouldn't surprise me."

"Are you sure you're not just sayi ng that 'cause she's got a way hotter body than yours. I mean, did you see that ass?" Suigetsu gave a low, wolfish whistle.

"_Filthy animal_." Karin bristled.

Juugo calmly walked beside his comrades, quiet as usual. He normally preferred not to get into their squabbles. But he couldn't help but think of the poor Hyuga heiress their leader had developed an interest in lately. She seemed quiet and peaceful, not unlike himself.

He wondered if they could possibly get along? Most people were afraid the minute they saw a mammoth like him come lumbering their way. But she was nice, and he felt that she'd be different.

He pitied the poor girl, knowing she'd only suffer in the end if she became involved with all of them.

Before Suigetsu could retort, Sasuke interrupted, "She'll show." His eyes flashed almost wickedly. "She'll definitely show."

No one questioned how he knew, but prepared for the next step in the plan.

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><p><strong>Omg! Finally, ch. 5 is done! I hope it wasn't too suckish…I had to get back in the swing of things with this story after being away for so long…Next chapter is where things really start to get interesting again. How will Hinata deal with Sasuke's plan,,,? Well, you'll have to stay tuned to see!<strong>

**REVIEW~!**


	6. Hopelessly Involved

**Wow, since I've picked up on some of my previously "on hold" stories again, reviews have been kind of slow, which I guess is mostly due to me having not updated in a while and people not knowing that I'm back. But honestly people, check your alerts every now and again why don't ya, that's what they're **_**for**_**! BUT! This group of reviewers I'm particularly proud of, you guys haven't seemed to slow down one bit! In fact, considering how wishy-washy I felt last chapter was, you all did better than I'd hoped for with reviews…! Thanks so much! And so I reward you with another new chapter as promised~**

**Also, I'm going to take the time to briefly answer some questions/comments I've been getting with reviews lately. So please read below if you asked a specific question or had a request as it will probably be addressed here:**

**A lot of feedback came from guests, so I'll just say this generally.**

**Random Guest: "**_Alright, I just absolutely, positively, without a shadow of a doubt love this story. BUT I want you to keep up with the Sasuke and Hinata pairing. That's the whole reason why I picked this story in the first place because that was what it was under and I don't want to regret liking this story. Secondly, can you make Naruto not seem as dumb as you have displayed him as so far? And I want Suigetsu to get w/ Karin. They have this huge love/hate relationship vibe coming off of them! I think they are secretly totally crushing on each other!"_

**Uh, thanks I guess? It's like you're complimenting and scolding me at the same time…anyway, this IS still a SasuxHina story all the way through. The side pairing will more or less be one-sided if there is one, and it'll just dissolve into a fluffy friendship eventually. So no need to get panicked, yeah? As for Naruto being dumb…pay attention to who's POV he's being portrayed from. Yes, I know that Naruto's not really as much of an idiot as most people make him seem.**

**He's more naive than anything, not necessarily stupid. BUT! If other characters who are narrating think of him as an idiot, then that's how he's going to appear for a while. Don't worry, he'll shine later. And the Karin/Suigetsu thing…? Aren't you asking a little much…? I can't stand Karin, really. I don't know if I think she deserves her own pairing…it's mostly for comic relief. I'll have to think about it.**

**Next…**

**Saki-Hime: **"_She shouldn't show just to show Sasuke he can't control her just yet._"

**While I whole-heartedly agree, let's remember that Hinata is not that stubborn or defiant…at least not yet. It took a while for her to stand up to Neji and stop stuttering…so it may take her a while before she's ready to go toe to toe with Sasuke. Also, this chapter is supposed to mainly take place at the amusement park…so…yeah. Lolz**

**I encourage everyone to just read to find out the rest ;P**

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><p>"<em>The best laid plans o' mice and men often go awry."— Robert Burns<em>

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><p><strong>Ch. 6<strong>- Hopelessly Involved

Tick-tock…

Tick-tock…

Tick-tock…

'_I can't believe I'm even considering doing this…' _the indigo-haired girl thought as she drew in a shaky breath. The final moments of school were slowly winding down, and everyone waited anxiously for the weekend to begin.

The sound of knuckles tightly clenching the desks were practically audible as the students leaned forward, staring at the hands of the wall clock. A certain Hyuga was anxious too, but not for the same reasons as everyone else.

_Briiiiiing!_

The bell rang suddenly and everyone abruptly shot up from their seats, most rushing out of the classroom immediately. Only Hinata and a few other stragglers were left after the dust had cleared.

Kurenai remained, calmly erasing the board. Hinata stood on wobbly legs, her books clutched tightly to her chest, and her book bag, seemingly fuller than usual, resting on her back. She was met by an excited shout as she entered the hall.

Kiba was there waving to her from down the hall, by his locker. Shino stood by quietly. But that wasn't what surprised her most. The fact that her cousin, TenTen, Rock Lee, and the feisty upperclassmen girl Temari were also standing there, along with two boys she didn't know, made her pause. She slowly made her way to the group as the halls began to clear out.

"Hinata-san! It is most delightful to see you again! You are as youthful looking as always." Rock Lee smiled handsomely, the first one to greet her. TenTen rolled her eyes at this, but gave Hinata a friendly smile.

"Hey Hinata, how's it going? You have any plans for the holiday weekend coming up?" she asked.

"Oi, what if she's already planning on hanging out with us?" Kiba retorted before Hinata could get a word in.

"Well, maybe she wants to spend more time with other girls? Did you ever think of _that _possibility, Inuzuka?" TenTen fired back. Hinata watched them nervously as they bickered, before Lee intervened. She then looked at Neji, confusion and curiosity clearly shining through in her pearly lavender eyes.

"I said you couldn't go with _them_, but I never said you couldn't go. So I'm taking you to Tanzaku amusement park. Your friends may come along if they wish." he explained, an oddly serene look passing over his normally solemn expression as he stared at his adorable cousin, whose large eyes were full of wonder.

This instantly got Kiba's attention as he stopped glaring at a flustered TenTen to stare at the Hyuga genius in surprise. "W-what? Seriously? _Alright_!" he whooped.

TenTen seemed to deflate at this. "But Neji, I was going to ask Hinata to come with—"

"You may come also TenTen, and Lee." he sighed, shaking his head. He should've already guessed. TenTen had begun treating Hinata like a little sister…or a doll.

She had always been a tomboy since he'd known her, but recently, when they entered high school, she had began to complain about how she wanted to be more in touch with her feminine side.

He guessed dolling up Hinata and hanging around the dainty heiress was her way of doing that. Not that he minded. Hinata needed the interaction with other females as much as TenTen craved it. Since childhood, Shino and Kiba were her only close friends.

She was often too timid to meet other people, and she got flustered with other girls when they talked about makeovers and boys. He was surprised she'd allowed Ino and Sakura to help her re-do her look before the start of the new semester.

But perhaps she'd wanted a change as well… His little cousin was truly growing up, then. Neji felt like a parent might, watching their child go off into the world before their eyes. He was proud, nostalgic, and a little sad all at once.

"Hey, are you going to forget about us? I was going to ask Hinata if she wanted to come to our father's beach home with us over the break." Temari declared, breaking Neji from his reverie.

The sandy blond girl stood with her hands on her hips, as if challenging the male Hyuga to go against her wishes. Behind her stood a brunette and a redheaded boy, neither having spoken yet.

Hinata blinked, looking at the senior girl in surprise. She grinned down at Hinata. "Why so surprised? I like you, kid. And you can't honestly expect me to go away with these two for the weekend, can you?" she scoffed, motioning to the boys behind her. The redhead remained impassive while the brunette shot her a glare.

"Well _you_ don't exactly come to mind when I think of hot girls at the beach…" he grumbled, causing the blond to grab his cheek and pinch it roughly.

"What was that?" she sneered.

"Eh…n-nothing…" he replied frantically, and Temari released his cheek. He began to rub the now bright red spot she had pulled.

"Oh, I don't think I've introduced you yet. These are my brothers, believe it or not." Temari told Hinata. "The brunette that can't ever shut up is Kankuro. He's a junior. And the redhead who's ignoring everybody right now is my youngest brother, Gaara. He's the same year as you."

Hinata smiled politely at them both. Kankuro gave her a wide grin and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively while Gaara gave her a blank stare.

"Hey Hinata," Kankuro suddenly sidled up to her and grabbed her hand. He was fairly tall and somewhat buff. His spiky brown hair was a bit shaggier than Kiba's, and he didn't resemble Temari very much. "I bet you like the beach, right?"

Hinata turned away in embarrassment before replying. "Y-Yes…I do."

Instantly, Kiba and Neji bristled, not liking this new male so close to _their_ Hinata. Especially Kiba. After that fight with the cocky junior, he'd almost been suspended for three weeks, if not for Shino being there to support his story of it being self defense.

He may have promised Hinata he'd try not to fight as much anymore, but he still couldn't stand the creep. Not to mention…he was pretty high ranking in a notorious street gang in Suna where the three siblings were from.

Rumor had it that their father was a very powerful and dangerous drug lord who ran several large trafficking rings and had illegal ties to the city's counsel. As in he _bribed_ people.

They had moved when one of their father's former allies had sworn revenge and almost succeeded in assassinating him. He still had strong control in Suna, but now they had moved to connect with other underground criminal rings in Konoha.

And all three of his children were supposedly involved in some manner. So to put it simply, Kiba not only couldn't stand Kankuro, but he also didn't trust him as far as he could spit at him.

_And now he was all over Hinata!_

Kankuro's grin widened, if at all possible. "I knew when I saw you that you were a beach kind of girl. Do you like one piece suits or biki—" He was roughly jerked away from Hinata mid-sentence, much to everyone's brief surprise.

Neji and Kiba had both been ready to step in the minute anything perverted left Kankuro's mouth, but it was the seemingly mute redhead that had yanked him back by his shirt collar.

He stared at Hinata's face with his cold teal eyes and nodded as a form of apology. "Excuse my brother's improper conduct…he was raised by incredibly stupid wolves."

His low voice somewhat surprised Hinata as all she could do was stare back dazedly. She finally blinked back into reality when Kiba elbowed her in the side. "O-oh, of course. It's alright. I-I'm sure Kankuro-san didn't mean any harm by it." She smiled to the now sulking brunette.

Kiba rolled his eyes. '_Hinata…why do you have to be so naïve…'_

TenTen cleared her throat to get rid of any lingering awkwardness. "Well, let's go, shall we?"

"Right, let's go change. We'll meet you guys outside the locker rooms when we're done." Kiba declared, walking away with the other males.

Hinata timidly followed the two older girls into the girl's locker room. Once inside, they took off their backpacks and began pulling out the change of clothes they had all seemed to bring along. No one wanted to go to the amusement park in uniform, after all.

TenTen was explaining how they could get tickets at half price and ride as many rides as they wanted all because her uncle was apparently a manager at the park. She also had a part-time job there on weekends, but she'd been allowed to take the weekend off by her uncle because of the school's holiday break.

Temari was saying how the park had added several new attractions she wanted to try, and making suggestions about what they could all do together. Hinata was off in her own little world, lost in thought. That seemed to happen to her a lot lately…

She had never told Sasuke she couldn't go with them, and right now, she was currently wallowing in guilt over it. What would happen if they ran into them at the park? She had almost considering sneaking away to meet him, which is why she had brought extra clothes.

She never expected her cousin to suddenly have a change of heart like this. She felt petty guilty about planning to go off behind his back when he was only trying to protect her.

"Hey, is that what you're wearing Hinata?" TenTen asked curiously as Hinata looked down at the outfit she was nervously holding in her clenched hands. It was one of the newer outfits she'd bought with Sakura-san and Ino-chan. Something she probably wouldn't normally wear on any other occasion.

It was a white halter top with a diamond cut neckline, showing her belly button, and a denim mini-skirt with white leggings. It might be something a lot of teenage girls would wear, but it was a rather risqué choice for Hinata, and that alone made it seem sexier on the shy Hyuga.

She just hoped it looked ok on her… she also decided to bring black ballet flats since they were bound to do a lot of walking and she wanted to be comfortable.

"Uh, h-hai…" Hinata mumbled, looking away shyly.

"You know… somehow, it really makes you stand out." Temari commented, nodding in approval. TenTen grinned in agreement.

"Wait 'til the guys see you in that. You'll knock 'em dead." TenTen winked, laughing at Hinata's flushed face.

"Let's hurry up and change, I don't feel like hearing Kankuro's mouth later." Temari grumbled, beginning to undress. Hinata nodded and quickly turned her head in the other direction, embarrassed, as she began to take off her clothes.

"Urgh…! I can't believe this! That stammering, ungrateful little ghost girl stood us up!" Karin was screeching as the group stood in their waiting spot. They were all dressed and ready to go…save for one missing Hyuga.

Sasuke grunted, already going over all the possible reasons why she wasn't there in his mind. He had a feeling she wasn't the type to forget a promise so easily, and of course her Hyuga blood would never allow her to do something so discourteous as not showing up without informing them somehow.

She was a goody-goody though, and she wouldn't be able to come along without getting the approval of her family first. He knew Hyuga Neji, her cousin and his rival who loathed him and vise versa, wouldn't allow him within two feet of Hinata.

Which was one of the reasons this was going to be even more fun… Sasuke thought he had a pretty good idea where to find her.

"Let's go, I have a feeling we'll be seeing her soon." Sasuke commanded, the others trailing him to the parking lot.

The minute she exited the locker rooms, Hinata was beginning to wonder if she'd made a mistake. Not just in clothing, but in this whole thing…could she really handle all the chaos of an amusement park…?

The terrifying rides, crowds of people, loud noises. It was almost like a nightmare if she stopped to think about it. But she knew she shouldn't be scared; her friends would be there with her, after all.

"H-Hinata…you look, a-amazing." Kiba breathed shakily. And the let the blushing commence! Kiba was practically drooling, and Hinata had steam spouting from her ears her face was so red. Almost everyone was staring, actually.

Hinata never showed skin._ Never_. Kiba thought it was a dream come true. He couldn't believe the girl that was still standing there after he silently pinched himself.

Neji didn't know what to think. He only looked a little surprised outwardly, but inside his head, there was a system overload. Hinata. Cute, innocent Hinata was wearing…tight clothes that showed ber body. His cousin, his angelic little cousin, looked _hot_. It took all the willpower he had not to look at the low cut in the front of her shirt.

She smiled nervously, her lips glossed to perfection. She was wearing very light make-up that brought out her porcelain features exquisitely. There, dangling in the line of her cleavage was a beautiful silver locket, one her mother had once given her.

She rarely took it off, but it was hardly noticed tucked away into her uniform. Now, the chain seemed to accentuate her assets. Somehow, she was still the epitome of innocence even while appearing glammed up and sexy.

The two girls with her looked smug with satisfaction as they gauged the males' various reactions. Temari rolled her eyes at Kankuro's gaping mouth as a stream of drool pooled at his feet. Ugh, honestly…sometimes it pained her to think they were related.

She was really more interested in her youngest brother's reaction, though. She saw what looked like a tiny eye twitch as he glanced at her quickly before looking away. Temari felt her lips curl into the barest of smirks. Then, it looked like there was a chance for her to play matchmaker, after all.

"Hinata-san, your youthfulness glows so brightly, I am blinded by your beauty!" Lee proclaimed, tears already streaming from his eyes. Hinata's blush intensified, if that was even possible, as she stammered a quick thank you.

Neji cleared his throat, seeing his cousin was uncomfortable with all the attention aimed in her direction. It was nice to know that underneath her bold new look, she was still the same Hinata she always had been.

Shy, humble, and clueless. He would have to be sure to keep a very close eye on her at the park. There was no telling what those perverts out there might try to do to an unassuming girl like her. "Well, let's get going then, shall we?"

Everyone eagerly agreed and headed for their cars.

Hinata's mouth gaped when they arrived. It was even bigger than she remembered! She climbed out of the backseat as Neji cut the engine, TenTen also hopped out of the passenger's side and stretched her arms above her head. "Aah, we're here! I can't wait to try all the new thrill rides~!"

Hinata's face paled. What exactly did she mean by '_thrill rides_'? And would she look like a baby if she didn't ride everything her friends wanted to?

She didn't have time to ponder over it too deeply as TenTen pulled her towards the gates, where the rest of their group was waiting. Neji got out his wallet, prepared to buy tickets, when TenTen stopped him.

"That won't be necessary." she told him. "I have connections, remember?"

She turned and flashed a wide grin to the man behind the glass at the ticket window. "Hey, Reida, long time no see!" she exclaimed.

The man looked up, seemingly surprised, before he saw TenTen and beamed.

"Ah, TenTen, what a pleasant surprise. I don't really see you since you switched shifts. I take it by your lack of uniform you're not here for work today, are you?" the man laughed good-naturedly.

TenTen laughed along, rubbing her neck slightly. She was wearing baggy camouflage pants and a sleeveless black shirt that had three buttons in the front. "Yep, you got me! I'm here with my friends. You think you could give us the discount?" she asked. He glanced behind her at the group of teenagers and smiled.

"Of course I can, anything for Taizo-san's niece!" he quickly accepted the money she handed him and produced the tickets for everyone in their group. With the park's high school student discount, and TenTen's connections, they were getting tickets for everyone in the group for the price of one ticket.

Lee happily complimented TenTen as she passed around the tickets. The bun-wearing girl beamed proudly. Once their tickets had been stamped and they were inside the park, the group immediately started choosing rides to go on.

TenTen spotted a booth giving away cute plush animals for knocking down bottles and quickly dragged a protesting Neji over to it. Lee decided he'd try his hand at the Test-Your-Strength game.

Kankuro ran off toward the bumper cars, while Temari shouted that she was going on the Twist-a-Hurl coaster, since she'd decided she was only going to ride the biggest and scariest roller coasters at the park this time.

Shino calmly made his way to the spinning cups, while Kiba attempted to work up the nerve to ask Hinata to come play zombie laser tag with him. He'd decided if he was going to make his move, he had to try something they could do together where she might get scared and there was a chance he could protect her.

Just as he spun around to ask her, however, he realized he was alone in the crowd of strangers, with Hinata nowhere to be seen. "Aw crud, are you kidding me?!" he shouted at the sky.

Meanwhile, near the park's other entrance; four teens were gathered, attracting the attention of many passersby. A redheaded girl was sulking because her love interest was paying her no attention…_again_, even though she was clearly the sexiest girl around with her tight red corset covered in black roses, and her micro-mini pleated black skirt.

She scowled, ready to rip her hair out as more boys passed her, giving her open stares and wolf whistles, while older women with their children gave her disapproving looks. Everybody was staring at her, but _him_! Suigetsu stood smugly to her left, arms crossed over his chest as he seemed to delight in her frustration.

He wore a zip-front navy muscle shirt, only half zipped and exposing his chest a bit. The many holes in his faded jeans, and the single dog tag around his neck made him looked rugged and mischievous, not that Karin would ever admit he looked good out loud.

Sasuke on the other hand…was like a feast for the eyes. His black jeans hung loosely on his hips, and the two studded belts that crossed them just added to the sexiness.

The tight fitting t-shirt he wore with the intricate dragon design showed his sculpted upper body beautifully, and the two silver necklaces he wore— one short with the Uchiha clan symbol, and one longer with two overlapping circles— made him look like band eye candy.

He pulled down the shiny sunglasses he'd had on top of his head, and Karin swore she could feel her skin evaporating from the heat of his godly looks.

"Where do you want to go first, Sasuke-kun?" she cooed ever so giddily, hoping he'd want to go on a romantic ride for two. He shrugged casually, his mind obviously wondering elsewhere. He remembered hearing the Hyuga prodigy talking to his friends earlier that day and saying he was planning to take his cousin to the amusement park.

He hadn't specified, but he didn't need to. When it came to finding his prey, Sasuke had special radar. She was here; he could feel it. Karin frowned, inwardly fuming at the thought that he was still hung up over that stupid Hyuga girl. How _dare_ she bewitch her Sasuke-kun and then leave him out to dry!

She would pulverize that little bitch the next time she saw her. Sasuke walked off without another word, and Suigetsu mouthed "shot down again" before running to try one of the rides he'd thought looked interesting on the way in.

Juugo tried to decide what he could do first. Most rides had height requirements for people who were too short, but he was almost too _tall _for a lot of rides. Not to mention big. Maybe he would just go somewhere peaceful for a while.

It'd be nice to get away from all Suigetsu and Karin's constant bickering. He headed to the tent where they held live animal auctions. Maybe he would just go watch them for a while. Animals always did seem to like him for some reason, and he found their presence soothing.

Karin, still standing in place, whipped out her phone and rapidly began to dial several numbers, connecting them through four-way calling. "Hey, I need you guys to get down to Tanzaku Amusement Park immediately. That Hyuga bitch is ruining this date for me!" she whined. She heard the muffled question of one of her followers and replied. "…Yeah, we're going to get her good…she'll be a _mess_ when we're through with her."

* * *

><p>Hinata couldn't believe her luck, or lack there of... They hadn't even been there for five minutes and she'd managed to get separated from her friends. She tried not to hyperventilate as she was totally lost in the crowd, people pushing and touching her every second. She could've sworn someone had just groped her a minute ago, making her shudder. Where were Neji-nii and TenTen…? Kiba and Shino…Temari-san, anyone…<p>

She looked in vain for anyone she recognized through the throng of people.

"Hey sexy," she whirled around to see three unfamiliar men grinning at her. She stared in confusion. 'Sexy'? Were they really talking to her? "You look lost, whatsa matter? No date?" one asked, seemingly sympathetic. His blond hair looked like it had been gelled to spike forward at the front of his head, and he wore sunglasses.

"We could keep you company." Another chimed in, this one a brunette wearing a backwards baseball cap.

Hinata started to feel uncomfortable. She remembered always being warned against talking to strangers in situations like this. Her family was especially strict about this rule, since she had once been kidnapped by one of her father's business rivals when she was just three.

She began to back away, when the other, wearing his hair in a short dark ponytail with a nose ring, grabbed her arm. "Yeah, hang with us for a while! We'll show you how to have fun." At this point, Hinata was inwardly panicking as she could quickly see this situation getting out of hand.

"I…n-no I'm sorry. I need to find my f-friends." She told them quietly yet firmly.

"Well, they can't be good friends if they ditched you, right? If you come with us, we can show you more than having fun at the _park_." The blond suggested slyly.

Hinata blushed furiously as she caught on to what he was implying. She shook her head vehemently, the one with the ponytail still holding firm to her arm. "N-no, I—"

"Is this your first time…? It's ok if you're not experienced, we'll show you how to—"

"Back off." Hinata's heart jumped into her throat at that vaguely familiar voice. The men slowly turned their heads to see a terrifying looking redhead glaring holes into them.

"W-what? Hey man, we were just—"

"Let the girl go…she's with me." His dark, raspy voice sent chills through their spines, and Hinata never thought she could be so happy to hear someone's voice. There was Temari's brother, arms crossed over his chest and looking at the three punks with daggers in his eyes.

Hinata quickly brushed by them to stand next to the redhead, and the three men began to back off under Gaara's unwavering glare. "W-whatever man, we're out!" one shouted before they all made their way through the crowd.

"Scum." he growled. Then, his eyes looked at Hinata and she flinched under the penetrating gaze. "Foolish girl…"

Hinata's eyes widened and she felt herself flinch again before she looked down in shame. She bowed to the redhead, not meeting his eyes. "Arigato. I-I apologize f-for causing you trouble."

Her head jerked up suddenly when she felt a firm grip on her wrist. She looked into the cold yet mesmerizing depths of aquamarine and blinked, somewhat startled. "I will lead you to the others. Come." he commanded, not giving her much choice as she was tugged along.

Hinata resigned herself to being dragged along like a child. She supposed it was what she deserved for inconveniencing Gaara-san. Bitterly, she wondered when the day would come that she would no longer be a nuisance to others.

* * *

><p>"What took you so long?" the redhead snapped impatiently. She surveyed the three girls before her haughtily before strutting back in forth in front of them in her sleek knee-length boots. "Tayuya did you bring the gear or what?"<p>

"You fucking know it." The foul-mouthed carrot top nodded slightly, gesturing to the inconspicuous backpack she wore.

"Alright, let's do this. Every second we waste is another second that bitch could be with my Sasuke-kun." The girls nodded understandingly, not questioning their leader as Tayuya took off her pack and handed around the equipment. Karin moved her spiked red-hair aside as she adjusted the small, wireless headset, covering it once again with her flaming red locks for extra measure.

Tayuya may have been a potty-mouth military brat but having a father who was in charge of developing advanced spy equipment had its perks. Like the things they were able to _borrow _when Tayuya raided her father's research building.

"Now, we'll split up and search the four main attractions in the park. Once someone sees something, she'll tell the others and we'll rendezvous at the point where our target is spotted. Is everyone clear on our goal?"

"Sabotage the Hyuga bitch's chances to meet up with Sasuke at all costs." Kin piped up.

Karin smirked, "But of course. I'm the only one that should have the privilege of holding his attention. He's _mine_."

Ami rolled her eyes slightly, but said nothing. She had known Karin the longest, ever since middle school… and she knew how obsessive she could be. It was best not to cross her when she was out for vengeance. Friend or foe, she never let anyone stand in her way. She'd hate to be that Hyuga chick right now…

_~XoXoXo~_

Hinata was following Gaara closely. He had let go of her wrist, but still told her to remain at his side at all times until they were able to reunite with the others. If someone had asked, he wouldn't have been able to explain why he was doing this.

He hardly even knew the girl's name, and he sure as hell wasn't a people person. He guessed it was because his sister really seemed to like the girl; it was rare that the Sabaku siblings allowed anyone to get close.

Temari must have seen something special in this girl. So he decided he'd help her, for his sister's sake. It had to be that, he reasoned, there was o way in hell anything else made sense.

He remembered Temari said she would be on the newest rollercoaster in the middle of the park when he'd last see her. It was a coaster called the Death Star and had an outer space theme.

It was designed to look like a rocket ship, and was supposed to be so fast and terrifying, it would was almost guaranteed to shave five to seven years from your life. The people that got off the ride had wild hair like they'd just been thrown around in a dryer, some looked liked they'd vomited on themselves, and everyone's faces looked pulled back like they'd had plastic surgery due to the incredibly high wind pressure.

Temari was the only one looking unfazed as she exited the ride, only to immediately get back in the line to go again. "Temari." He called, coming to a complete stop and forcing Hinata in front of him.

She turned back at the sound of her name and blinked. Her little brother was there with Hinata, who looked almost visibly shaken.

"Gaara…? What's wrong, what happened?" she asked immediately, rushing to Hinata with a concerned frown.

"She got lost and ran into some punks. I handled them. I brought her to you since I figured you could take it from here." he responded apathetically.

She nodded, giving Hinata a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. "Hey, do you wanna ride the Speedway Blitz with me?" she offered, figuring someone as delicate as Hinata probably couldn't handle a ride as extreme as _the_ Death Star. And from the grateful look she got from the Hyuga heiress, she was probably right.

"U-um sure…but I'm…not that familiar with too many rides…so I hope I don't d-disappoint you." Hinata bowed quickly as a sort of pre-apology. When she'd come here in middle school, she felt like all she ever did was get scared or sick on the rides her friends had wanted to go on.

They hadn't really complained, but Hinata had felt terrible. Secretly, she was afraid Temari would be upset with her if she knew just how bad she was on most rides.

Unwittingly, Hinata followed the oldest Sabaku sibling to the "Speedway Blitz", not even knowing what kind of ride it was. Gaara had silently disappeared back into the crowd after completing his self-appointed mission, mumbling something about needing to do something.

It turned out the ride was set up like a race-track obstacle course. Hinata gulped quietly as they got buckled into the ride, and when it started, the world seemed to whiz by in a blur. Temari was laughing with gusto, so Hinata figured she should at least act like she was having fun.

Her cheeks flapped loosely in the wind and her hair whipped into her face, obscuring her view for the most part; but by the time they got to the middle of the course, she was still conscious, and actually starting to enjoy the wind and Temari's company.

Soon, she was laughing along, even raising her arms when they would steer over a bump. Of course Temari was driving, but Hinata never minded.

When they got off, Temari asked what she wanted to do next, which she gave some thought to. It had been so long that she hardly remembered what rides she liked to go on, but she decided that the spinning cups might not be such a bad idea. Neither noticed a certain pair of girls from school watching them through the crowd.

* * *

><p><strong>Ami's POV<strong>

Right when I saw a hot guy I could french with, I saw that damned Hyuga walking with an older girl, a senior named Sabaku Tima…Tama…Temari I think. I quickly nudged Kin, who then spoke into her headset as I pulled out the target-locking spy goggles.

"Red Hot, come in Red Hot, this is Belle, the target has been spotted. I repeat, target spotted, heading south toward the spinning cups with a senior girl…" Kin relayed the information. Yes, we all even had codenames for this. Karin was Red Hot, Kin was Belle-Bitch, I was Sugar&Spice, and Tatsuya was Dirty Talk. **(a/n: I give them stripper names on purpose…skanks. XD**)

All this high-tech gear just to crash a date was a little extreme, but this was Karin we were dealing with, so it was nothing new. She'd had that thing for Sasuke for Kami only knew how long.

I don't even remember how many girls we had to break to keep them away from him. No one knew why so many of Sasuke's exes suddenly got scared to even look at him, or kept transferring schools.

I adjusted the goggles to hone in on the Hyuga no matter where she went, and we stealthily moved through the crowd to follow them. Our goal was to keep her apart from Sasuke at all costs.

I don't know why Sasuke would be looking for someone like that paperbag bitch in the first place—I mean the last time I saw her, she had short hair like a guy and wore the baggiest, ugliest jacket you'd ever seen— but Karin had explained he was just trying new things or whatever.

She also explained the Hyuga's looks had changed since first semester. Her hair was down to her back now, and she stopped wearing the jacket, so it appeared she may actually have curves, _curves_. I doubted she was anything that impressive though. _I_ was the one who did part-time modeling, so of course _I_ had the better figure.

Karin was supposed to be following Sasuke discreetly with Tayuya, I just hope she didn't blow our cover. "Good," Karin's voice crackled over the headset as Kin adjusted the volume. "I've got Sasuke-kun in my sights too, he's heading west near the roller coasters so we should be—" she paused, and then there was a sharp gasp. "H-he disappeared!" she screeched frantically, and I cringed at the volume of the frequency.

Man, Kin was one unlucky bitch right now. That had to cause some bleeding in the eardrum. "Calm down and use the damned goggles." Kin hissed back, obviously annoyed.

"I give the orders, not the other way around!" Karin's pompous voice snorted back from over the headset. "And I was—Tayuya, how do you get these things to trace a heat signature?!" I could practically imagine her shaking Tayuya impatiently. Tayuya would be muttering a string of curses right back, never one to hold her tongue.

"How'd you lose him?" Kin asked lazily. She wasn't really into this whole stalking Sasuke thing, she was just going along with it because she owed Karin, or more like she was being blackmailed. Something about being caught in the teacher's lounge sucking face with a substitute.

"He walked into a big crowd for some rollercoaster and disappeared." Karin growled impatiently.

I could hear Tayuya muttering a string of curses over the headset, and then static. "Red Hot, do you read me, Red Hot?" Nothing, no reply. Just static.

"Well shit, that was stupid." I grumbled as we both crouched behind a sign near the exit of some race car ride. Suddenly, I could hear talking and two girls were walking out. It was Hyuga and the senior.

"Fun right?" the senior smiled proudly. "So where to next, you hungry yet?"

The Hyuga began to open her mouth, stammering as she tried to think of something to say. What a loser. Sasuke must have really hit rock bottom if he found her even mildly appealing. My stomach began to growl and I was about to ask Kin if she was ready to eat, too, when Sasuke walks out in front of both girls.

My mouth drops. "How the hell did he get here so fast?" I heard Kin ask wonderingly (he _was_ supposed to be on the other side of the park five minutes ago after all), but I stayed quiet and watched as he approached the girl, his eyes locked on the Hyuga's shaking form.

For a minute, they looked surprised to see him, then the Hyuga looked guilty, and the senior girl looked smug. They start talking, but I can't hear a thing.

I motion to Kin and we crouch down to move in to hear better, until some kid holding a big ice cream cone in one hand comes by, tripping over his untied shoelaces. We watch in horror as the kid's ice cream flies through the air.

All three scoops head right towards us, since we're only about three feet away, and Kin and I both squeak in unison, trying to scramble away, but we stumble over each other and both of us get a giant splat of ice cream.

Right. On. Our. Heads. I wail in fury as the dripping ice cream runs down the side of my face. My gorgeous hair, the wonderful body and shine that took me three whole hours to obtained, gone in seconds. _That kid will pay!_ I seethe, seeing red spots dancing around in my vision.

Kin's look is equally as deadly. The kid notices us looking ready to chase him down and squeals before running away. Screw the mission, that kid owes me a salon visit! We give chase and I forget what the hell we were even doing to begin with.

* * *

><p><strong>Sasuke's POV<strong>

I watch as Karin's friends run after a crying kid with untied shoelaces and smirk. I knew they were following me for a while now, so I paid the kid to spill his ice cream. Now I understood why the dobe loved to play pranks on people all the time—watching Karin's clowns trying to run around in five-inch heels and fall flat on their faces was priceless.

But I had a method for my madness from the beginning, and she was standing right in front of me, her face a mixture of shock and guilt. I knew she'd be here; when it came to tracking down targets, let's just say I had a sixth sense.

"So this is where you've been hiding, huh?" I ask calmly, though inside I am pretty pissed that she stood me up. Even if I know it was technically her douche bag cousin's fault. I heard him telling his friends that he was taking Hinata to the amusement park after school, and I knew immediately why she didn't show.

I couldn't stand the guy. He thought he was great because he played sports and was a genius. Whatever, we'll see who got the last smirk when_ I_ was the one to deflower his precious little cousin.

Hyuga apologizes quickly, but I just brush it off with a wave. "It's cool, if I'd known you already had plans, I would've asked you to come another time." I say with a shrug. "But now that we're both here anyway…"

I grab Hyuga's wrist firmly and pull her forward. Damn, she's even hotter in normal clothes. What was it about this girl that turned me on without her even knowing it?

She blushes a blazing red but doesn't really protest. I turn to see that the other girl is wearing a sly grin and raise an eyebrow as I study her. She's Sabaku's older sister. How the hell did Hyuga get involved with the Sabaku girl?

She was pretty ruthless to anyone that crossed her from what I'd heard. Pretty much everyone knew what their dad did—and I mean, my dad_ is_ a cop, so of course I knew about their lucrative drug empire.

"Mind if I borrow her?" I ask, not really caring what the answer is. I'm not just about to let my prey go after going through all the trouble to track it down.

"Normally I'd say no, but go have some fun Hinata." She winked at the embarrassed looking Hyuga. She brushed past us, heading in the direction of the roller coasters. She bumped Hyuga's shoulder and glanced at me before giving the heiress an approving look.

I looked down at her and she looked back up at me with large lavender eyes. "Nice friend." I said, half-jokingly, but the indigo-haired nodded seriously.

"Temari-sempai is a-a-always so kind to m-me." Her normal nervous stutter was back, but I ignored it as I tugged her closer.

"So, what do you wanna do?" Her eyes showed curiosity at the question as if silently saying '_what _do _I want to do?_', and I realized that she knew next to nothing about how to have fun at an amusement park.

A surprisingly loud gurgling noise made me break away from staring at her face, and she jumped, her face igniting red, again. Damn, could this girl blush. I bet I could give her even more to blush about though.

"Lunch it is, then." I smirk, and before she can answer I am pulling her toward where I saw several food stands. I'm not really giving her much choice, just kind of dragging her around. But then, that's kind of the point. What's the point of getting the prize without flaunting it?

* * *

><p><strong>Normal POV<strong>

"U-Uchiha-san," she started, before the handsome boy interrupted her.

"Sasuke." He said.

She blinked, but then continued, "S-Sasuke-san, I—"

"No," he shook his head. "_Just_ Sasuke."

Hinata swallowed. She felt a little uncomfortable. She was always taught it was rude to address anyone you barely knew by their first name. Only the friends who had given her permission to do so, or people she was particulary close to, like Kiba and Shino, were an exception. But the Uchiha seemed persistent about dropping the familiarities between them, so for now she would oblige.

"S-Sasuke…" she tried unsurely. His name sounded odd yet strangely appealing on her tongue. She kind of liked the way it flowed, not that she'd ever say it aloud. "I…I appreciate you bringing me here but, I c-can't l-let you pay for me." she said quietly, beginning to dig into her small handbag and look for her wallet.

The young woman behind the counter was smiling at the Uchiha dreamily. She would've liked to go for the boy herself, but she thought they made a cute enough couple.

She froze when a larger hand placed itself on top of hers. Sasuke looked amused at her deer-caught-in-the-headlights look, "Hyuga, I'm treating you no matter what. So put your wallet away and shut up about it," he told her coolly.

Hinata flinched slightly at how harsh he was, but obeyed. Sasuke noticed her reaction and realized he was so used to making commands, he forgot to be softer around the Hyuga.

"My bad, it's a habit." he added, "You know, being around idiots like Suigetsu and Karin does that you." He ran a hand through his spiked hair and frowned thoughtfully. He was a little surprised to hear a quiet giggle from the girl he had been trying to win over—and failing miserably at—for over thirty minutes now.

"I-it's fine." She nodded. "My nii-san acts the same w-way around his f-fan girls." He frowned at the mention of Neji but covered it with a smirk.

"You wanna just split a snack or something?" Hinata was hungry, but she figured if he was going to pay for her, then she wouldn't order anything big.

And she didn't see the harm in sharing with Sasuke. She did it all the time with Kiba and Shino and even Neji. It's not like they were on a date, just two classmates getting to know each other better, she reasoned.

"I-I'd like that."

He seemed pleased by the answer, and quickly ordered for them. They found a clean table to sit at, and Sasuke handed her a pair of new chopsticks and her share of the neriame when they sat down. She broke the chopsticks gingerly and carefully picked up the sticky treat.

He had honestly just planned on getting oden, because he hated sweets. But when Hinata had laid eyes on the stretchy candy her eyes lit up. So he ordered that, and now he watched her eat it.

She had brought the chopsticks to her lips and watched her delicately bite into the treat with her eyes closed, like she was eating a piece of heaven itself. He found it amusing, but then he got the same way when he bit into one of the fresh tomatoes from his mother's garden.

She chewed on the strand that was connected from her lips to the small bowl of the stuff and looked up at Sasuke suddenly, as if just remembering he was there. He had his elbow propped on the table and his head was leaning into his hand as he watched her silently.

She flushed brightly and began to try to swallow the piece she'd been chewing, but the darn thing was so stretchy it wouldn't break off and she ended up stuffing most of it in her mouth humorously in her panic. Sasuke couldn't help it; he chuckled, surprising both the Hyuga and himself.

This girl was something else. He could never remember laughing at a single thing any of his past girlfriends did. Well, maybe he felt a sick sense of glee when he dumped them and they cried, but it was nothing as innocent or amused as watching Hinata's cheeks bulging with unchewed candy.

She looked at him and the blush got worse as she noticed him snickering quietly behind his hand. She quickly attempted to swallow what was in her mouth and almost choked. A few coughs and a few hits to her throat and it was down, albeit somewhat painfully.

Small tears of exhaustion welled at the corners of her eyes as she panted slightly. That was far more embarrassing than anything she had ever done on a ride.

Why didn't she just stay with Temari and ride the rollercoaster or something? She couldn't believe the most popular boy in school just saw her stuff candy dow her throat like that! Oh Kami, her father would be so ashamed at his daughter's terrible manners in public.

"I'm s-so sorry you had to s-s-see that!" she looked at him with wide eyes and a cute, horrified face. "S-Sasuke-sa—I-I m-mean Sasuke I…I don't usually—" She was surprised when warm, slightly rough fingertips brushed the side of her face, and she gaped at the intense look in the Uchiha's eyes.

He pulled her face down closer to his and her heart started pounding rapidly all of a sudden. '_T-traitor! My body is g-getting warm…I c-can't stop it.'_ Hinata gasped, '_W-what is Sasuke doing?! H-he c-can't be t-trying to…' _Hinata was in full-on panic mode.

No. No…her first…first kiss was supposed to be for Naruto-kun. A jolt of fire licked its way through her body as something warm and slick touched the side of her face. She squeaked and tried to pull away, but he had somehow managed to wrap an arm around her neck to hold her still. _'W-when?'_

Her mind was dizzy and her body was red hot. As soon as the sensation of Sasuke's tongue tickling her sensitive skin came it was gone as he pulled back with a very self-satisfied expression. "You had a little something there." he explained casually. "Funny, Hyuga…I never would have thought you were the type to be a messy eater."

Her face flamed red and she just gawked at him. He had been teasing her! He was…he was…

"Uchiha-san how c-c-could you? I a-almost fainted!" she berated in the soft-spoken way that only Hinata could. This time Sasuke was snickering openly—albeit quietly. Her facial expression was just…so priceless. If a _hamster _got mad and tried to glare at someone, it would look more intimidating.

Hinata's face was bright red all the way down to her neck. She was indignant, yes, but she was also intrigued by his laugh. He didn't seem like someone who laughed a lot at all.

It was actually kind of…charming in a sensual, masculine sort of way. But she'd never admit that to anyone. She managed a shaky smile, not having it in her to stay annoyed.

"S-Sasuke, I..."

"Hinata? Sasuke? What's up! Funny seeing you guys here alone, eh?" Hinata instantly perked up at the voice and Sasuke's teeth clenched so hard he swore they would crack.

He couldn't believe his luck. This was the damn worst possible scenario imaginable. He stared at the Hyuga's practically glowing eyes as she stared at the boy approaching his table. He noticed with raw ire that he wasn't the only one.

But he reminded himself that it wasn't over. He had already succeded in undoing her this far, that she would deliberately obey her precious cousin by speaking to him, and she didn't even know it.

He had her in his sights and she wasn't going anywhere. She was already involved with them, hopelessly. And it was only a matter of time...

* * *

><p><strong>Out of all the chapters I have done for this story so far…this is definitely my <strong>_**least**_** favorite. I just…hate it! I mean, I feel like I should be totally excited by it, but it's just so frustrating I can't stand it. I feel like it's too messy and at some parts, too fast or slow. **

**Urgh…I feel like hitting my head against the wall. I have no idea why this chapter turned out so hard for me. Probably because I was obsessing on how to have the perfect amount and quality of SasuxHina interaction and got bogged down in the other details. **

**Please don't bother flaming me for this, though. I already know it sucked, and if I'm reminded, I might be so depressed I don't update this for a long time…so just, review if you want. God, I actually feel really depressed over this. XP**

**Review! There, that's a little better. See you…next chapter. Hopefully I'll be out of my slump by then.**


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